President Bola Tinubu has approved a second five-year term for Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the State House announced on Friday.
Marwa, first appointed in January 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now lead the agency until 2031. Before taking over at the NDLEA, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.
The confirmation was issued in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on November 14, 2025.
According to the statement, Marwa’s extensive military and administrative background continues to make him a strong fit for the role. A product of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973 and went on to serve in several key positions, including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar of the NDA.
His international experience includes serving as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and later as Defence Adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa 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.
Under his leadership, the NDLEA has reported major results in the fight against drug trafficking. The State House highlighted numerous drug interceptions and the arrest of more than 73,000 traffickers, along with the seizure of over 15 million kilograms of narcotics. The agency has also intensified national advocacy campaigns against drug abuse.
Read Also;
NDLEA arrests musician, uncovers Lagos illicit drug laboratory
President Tinubu praised Marwa’s performance, describing his reappointment as a “vote of confidence” in his efforts to combat drug trafficking and protect young Nigerians. He encouraged Marwa to remain relentless in pursuing drug cartels and traffickers.
A former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, Marwa now faces the task of building on the progress made during his first tenure.
With this renewal, the Adamawa-born retired officer will continue to lead the NDLEA until 2031.
