Tinubu Reappoints Marwa as NDLEA Chairman for Fresh Five-Year Term

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his tenure until 2031.

The announcement was made on Friday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Marwa, first appointed in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has received widespread praise for strengthening Nigeria’s anti-narcotics fight. Before leading the NDLEA, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.

A seasoned military officer and administrator, Marwa is an alumnus of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he later served as academic registrar. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he held several strategic roles, including Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

He also holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.

The NDLEA has recorded landmark achievements under his leadership. According to the Presidency, the agency arrested over 73,000 drug mules and barons, seized more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs, and rolled out nationwide anti-drug abuse campaigns.

Tinubu described Marwa’s reappointment as an endorsement of his dedication and effectiveness.

“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your efforts to rid the country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you to stay relentless in pursuing those determined to destroy our people, especially the youth,” the President said.

Marwa, a former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, is expected to consolidate on the successes of his first tenure as he continues to lead the agency.