Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has revealed that his agency has seized over N420 billion in illicit narcotics since 2021.

During a budget defense session on November 3, 2022, Marwa stated that the agency has arrested over 19,000 individuals and gained the convictions of 3,111 individuals for various drug-related offences.

He also informed the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Narcotics that the total amount of illicit substances confiscated exceeds five million kg.

While lamenting the high prevalence of drug consumption in Nigeria, he disclosed: “14.3 million Nigerians are abusing drugs. This is equal to the population of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Gambia and Liberia combined.”

The House Committee supported NDLEA’s proposal to spend N13 billion on the construction of barracks for its officers.

Dr. Francis Otta-Agbo, the committee’s chairman, stated that the perils of their jobs necessitate that narcotics officers reside in barracks for their safety.

YNaija