Mohammed Marwa reappointed as NDLEA chief by Tinubu

Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa

President Tinubu has given Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) a second five-year term as head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Bayo Onanuga, the President's Special Adviser, confirmed the reappointment in a statement on Friday.

The statement included praise from President Tinubu, who said Marwa’s return was;

"Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse.,I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs, out to destroy our people, especially the young ones.”

Mohammed Buba Marwa's Background

Marwa was first appointed to the role by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021. Before that, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse between 2018 and 2020.

His reappointment means the former military officer, who was born in Adamawa State, will now lead the NDLEA until 2031.

Marwa previously served as the military governor of both Lagos and Borno States. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he held several key military positions. These included brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff, and academic registrar of the NDA.

He also worked abroad, representing Nigeria as the Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and later as the Defence Adviser for the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations.

Marwa holds two Master's degrees: one in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–1985) and another in Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–1986).

NDLEA Achievements

During his current time at the NDLEA, Marwa has supervised many major operations. These include arresting more than 73,000 drug traffickers and barons and seizing over 15 million kilogrammes of various hard drugs.