Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics has pledged full legislative support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the country intensifies efforts to combat substance abuse and dismantle illicit drug networks.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the newly appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Senator Joseph Ikpea, to NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
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Ikpea said his visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration with the anti-narcotics agency and learning from its experience in tackling drug-related crimes.
He praised Marwa’s record in public service, citing his previous roles as military governor of the former Borno State, Military Administrator of Lagos State, and his current leadership of the NDLEA.
“I am here to learn and partner with you so that our children who have gone into drug abuse we can get them out through rehabilitation and prevent others from falling into the drug trap through massive awareness creation and sensitisation programmes aimed at prevention,” Ikpea said.
The senator, who represents Edo Central Senatorial District, also pledged stronger legislative backing for the agency, acknowledging the resource demands of combating drug abuse and trafficking.
“We will partner with you through legislative support and necessary laws to subdue the drug problem in our country,” he said, adding that the Senate was committed to supporting the NDLEA’s efforts to address what he described as a growing national challenge.
Responding, Marwa welcomed the Senate committee’s support and stressed that drug trafficking and substance abuse remain major drivers of wider social and security problems in Nigeria and around the world.
“The drug problem is a major challenge that is at the root of some other social issues, not only in Nigeria but globally,” Marwa said.
He highlighted recent achievements by the NDLEA, including the dismantling of major transnational drug cartels, the arrest of high-profile traffickers, and the seizure and forfeiture of criminal assets linked to narcotics operations.
According to Marwa, those successes have been made possible through sustained support from President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly and the judiciary, enabling the agency to expand both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction programmes nationwide.
Marwa expressed confidence that closer cooperation between lawmakers and enforcement agencies would further strengthen Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign, describing the Senate committee’s backing as critical to sustaining momentum in the fight against narcotics-related crime.
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