Tinubu Renews Brig.-Gen. Marwa’s NDLEA Chairmanship for Another Five Years

President Bola Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for an additional five-year term, the State House confirmed on Friday. Marwa, initially appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, will now lead the agency until 2031.

Before his NDLEA tenure, Marwa served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020. The appointment was confirmed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement dated November 14, 2025.

A highly experienced military officer, Marwa is a graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he has served in key positions including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff, and academic registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He also held diplomatic roles abroad as Deputy Defence Adviser in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Marwa 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 achieved notable successes, including the arrest of 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of over 15 million kilograms of hard drugs. The agency has also led nationwide campaigns to curb drug abuse.

President Tinubu praised Marwa’s performance, describing the reappointment as a “vote of confidence” and urging him to continue his efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse, particularly among the youth.

Marwa, a former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, now faces the task of sustaining these initiatives and building on the accomplishments of his first term, ensuring the NDLEA continues its fight against drug-related crimes across Nigeria.