Drug war a generational task, Marwa tells NDLEA officers

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.), Thursday, charged officers and men of the agency to remain resilient in the fight against illicit drugs.

He described the battle as a generational responsibility requiring sustained commitment of the personnel and entire Nigerians.

Marwa gave the charge at the 12th Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s Commendations and Awards ceremony held at the NDLEA national headquarters, Abuja.

The ceremony saw 274 personnel honoured for outstanding performance, alongside 18 best-performing commands and 19 non-governmental organisation and media organisations recognised for their contributions to the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign.

Marwa said the persistent and evolving nature of the drug trade meant that the agency could not afford to relent in its efforts.

“The war against illicit drugs is not a campaign with an end date. It is a generational responsibility. For every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise. For every corridor we shut down, traffickers will search for another route.”

He added  that the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse could not be won through enforcement alone, noting that civil society organisations and the media play critical roles in preventing drug abuse and supporting affected communities.

He said NGOs operate within communities to help young people overcome addiction, while journalists continue to expose the realities of drug trafficking, rehabilitation and families struggling to rebuild their lives.

“Our partners in civil society and the media have been the multiplier effect on everything this agency does,” he said, adding that they had taken the anti-drug message into homes, schools and communities beyond the reach of law enforcement uniforms.

The NDLEA chairman also highlighted recent operations which, he said demonstrated the agency’s growing capacity to dismantle sophisticated drug networks.