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Vision of Drug-Free Nigeria is Achievable, Marwa Tells Participants at NOMA Capacity Workshop
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The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has re-emphasized calls for strategic partners with media practitioners to fight against drug abuse, warning that the country remains at the centre of a growing drug crisis that requires urgent and collective action.
Marwa, who was represented by Mrs. Rita Geh, a Deputy Director in the agency, made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at the Media Capacity Building Programme organized by the Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA), in Lagos, to commemorate the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The event, which brought together journalists, public health experts, anti-drug advocates, policymakers, and stakeholders to examine the role of the media in preventing substance abuse and promoting advocacy, was held at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba on Thursday 25th June, 2026, and themed: “Responsible Media, Drug-Free Nigeria: The Journalist’s Role in Prevention and Advocacy.”
The NDLEA boss described media professionals as “shapers of perception, architects of public opinion, and indispensable partners in national development,” emphasizing that the fight against drug abuse cannot be won through law enforcement alone.
According to him, Africa faces a particularly alarming drug challenge, with projections indicating that drug use on the continent could increase by as much as 40 per cent by 2030, compared to a relatively modest rise globally.
“Nigeria, by virtue of its population and strategic position, sits at the centre of this challenge. The 2018 national drug use survey showed that 14.4 per cent of Nigerians use drugs, compared to the global average of 5.6 per cent. This is not a statistic we can afford to ignore,” he said.
Marwa stressed that while enforcement remains a critical component of the anti-drug campaign, sustainable success depends on prevention, education, advocacy, and community involvement.
He noted that under his leadership, the NDLEA has adopted a balanced strategy that combines supply reduction with demand reduction efforts.
Highlighting the agency’s achievements, Marwa disclosed that the NDLEA has recorded more than 77,859 arrests, secured over 14,122 convictions, and seized in excess of 15 million kilograms of illicit substances across the country in recent years.
He further revealed that within the first ten months of 2025 alone, the agency made over 19,000 arrests, secured approximately 3,000 convictions, confiscated millions of kilograms of narcotics, and destroyed large cannabis plantations nationwide.
“These figures represent more than statistics. Behind every arrest, conviction, and seizure are lives saved, families protected, and communities made safer,” he said.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the agency’s operations have also disrupted criminal supply chains and weakened financial networks linked to organized crime and terrorism.
Despite these achievements, Marwa maintained that reducing the demand for drugs remains the ultimate solution to the problem.
“It is in the area of demand reduction that the role of the media becomes indispensable. The narratives journalists create, the stories they choose to tell, and the information they disseminate influence the choices people make, particularly young people,” he said.
The retired military officer urged journalists to prioritize responsible reporting by emphasizing accuracy over sensationalism and public education over entertainment.
He challenged media practitioners to use their platforms to educate the public on the dangers of substance abuse while highlighting stories of recovery, resilience, and rehabilitation.
According to him, reporting that focuses solely on criminality and punishment can reinforce stigma, discourage treatment-seeking behaviour, and undermine prevention efforts.
“Responsible media practice means going beyond headlines. It means helping people understand the realities of drug abuse, promoting evidence-based information, and showing that recovery is possible,” Marwa stated.
He also emphasized the media’s watchdog role, encouraging journalists to hold institutions accountable while fostering informed public discourse around drug policy, prevention, and public health interventions.
The NDLEA chairman described the programme’s broader focus on community involvement, media advocacy, and self-consciousness as central to achieving a drug-free society.
“This fight begins with the individual, gains strength from the community, and reaches its widest impact through the media. When these three forces work together, the results can be transformative,” he said.
Marwa called on journalists to actively support national anti-drug campaigns by countering misinformation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and amplifying prevention messages targeted at young people.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, and collaboration with the media, noting that regular engagement remains essential for public awareness and advocacy.
The NDLEA chairman also highlighted the agency’s ongoing investments in prevention programmes, including school-based sensitization campaigns, community outreach initiatives, rehabilitation services, and the nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
According to him, millions of Nigerians, particularly young people, have already been reached through these interventions.
He further stressed the importance of community participation, urging parents, teachers, religious leaders, and community influencers to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting young people from substance abuse.
“Early education, open conversations, and supportive environments remain our strongest defences against drug abuse. A drug-free Nigeria cannot be achieved without active community involvement and personal responsibility,” he said.
Expressing optimism about the future, Marwa noted that a drug-free Nigeria remains an achievable goal if stakeholders sustain their commitment and continue to work together.
“The vision of a drug-free Nigeria is not a distant dream. It is achievable through commitment, consistency, and collective action. Together, we can build a nation where young people make informed choices and where communities remain safe, productive, and free from the scourge of drugs,” he concluded.
The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four men to death for their involvement in the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City.
Justice Aigbona Momodu handed down the sentences after finding the defendants guilty on multiple counts connected to the kidnapping case.
The convicts are Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael and Gift Raphael.
Isaac and Michael were sentenced to death on counts two through nine. They also received separate prison terms on other counts, including seven years on count one, while Isaac was sentenced to 10 years on count 10 and life imprisonment on count 11.
Rufus Emete Michael was sentenced to death on counts two, three, four, six and seven, in addition to a seven-year prison term on count one.
The fourth defendant, Gift Raphael, was sentenced to death on counts two, four, six and eight and received seven years imprisonment on count one.
Delivering the sentences, Justice Momodu ordered that the death sentences be carried out by hanging or lethal injection, in accordance with the court’s judgment.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of a JoJef pump-action firearm and ammunition tendered as exhibits during the trial.
The firearm, identified as Exhibit M, along with two unused cartridges and two spent cartridges listed as Exhibits E and E1, was ordered to be handed over to the Edo State Police Armourer at the State Criminal Investigation Department for destruction.
Justice Momodu directed that the exhibits be transferred to the police through the Deputy Director of the Criminal Division and destroyed within 30 days.
The convictions bring to an end the trial arising from the abduction of the woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, an incident that added to concerns over kidnapping and armed crime in Benin City.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has hailed the state’s strong performance in the 2026 National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination, describing the result as a positive reflection of ongoing efforts to reposition education in the state.
Osun placed fifth nationally in the 2026 NECO ranking, with 74.31 per cent of candidates recording at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
While congratulating the students, teachers, parents, school administrators and other stakeholders, the governor noted that the state performance has been improving within a single digit rating for three consecutive years namely 2024, 2025 and 2026.
“Osun has moved from 33rd position in the 2022 NECO ranking to 5th in 2026, while improving its pass rate to 74.31 per cent. This is encouraging, and it shows that our sustained interventions in the education sector are yielding positive results,” the Governor said.
Governor Adeleke said the improved performance reflects his administration’s deliberate investment in the education sector, including the recruitment of additional teachers to strengthen the teaching workforce, while prioritising workers’ welfare and creating a more conducive environment for effective teaching and learning across public schools.
The Governor said the performance reinforces his administration’s determination to continue investing in education, noting that the objective is to build a system that gives every Osun child the knowledge, skills and opportunities needed to succeed.
“This result is encouraging, but we see it as a reason to do more. We will continue to invest in our schools, improve the learning environment, support our teachers and provide our students with the necessary tools to excel.
“We are building an education system that prepares our young people not only for examinations but for life,” the Governor said.
He assured that ongoing interventions in the education sector would be sustained and expanded, while urging students to remain committed to their studies.
His Excellency also commended teachers across the state for their dedication and sacrifices, assuring them that the administration would continue to prioritise measures that strengthen the education system and improve workers’ welfare.
The Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) marked the 2026 World Tourism Day with activities which capture capacity building, technology, destination promotion and domestic tourism, and celebration.
In the South West Zone, close to 200 tour operators gathered at Ziba Beach Resort, Lagos, for a special training focused on Artificial Intelligence and its application in tourism, equipping operators with digital tools to improve their businesses and destination marketing.
In Abuja, the FCT and Northern Zone, in collaboration with Naija Adventurers, staged a colourful Tourism Awareness Walk and Hike to the Centre of Nigeria.
The celebration also spread to the South-South Zone, where members marked the day with a destination tour, alongside activities to commemorate with the world tourism day celebrations.
In line with the theme for this year’s WTD celebration: ‘Digital agenda and artificial intelligence to redesign tourism’ the NATOP training on AI and application in tour operation at Ziba Beach Resort Lagos saw a large turnout of the members of the association.
The President of the association, Hajia Bolaji Mustapha explained that the idea for the location and training was to train members on how to do tour business, to know how to promote tourism digitally, using different AI tool and everything so that they will grow their businesses.
She said: “we follow the theme and, you know, blend with the old situation. Let’s do the training so that we attach it to the World Tourism Day with the theme that we have achieved something and also celebrate.”
She said the training will go a long way in helping the tour operators do greater content to digitally tell destination stories using AI, and also using the tool for expression.
Mustapha also explained why the association chose Ziba Beach Resort: “We always attach World Tourism Day to a tourism site. And definitely, if you look at this whole area and this community, that’s why we see that Ziba is a tourism site. We want to explore and of course. The resort newly launched its third phase. So, we will use this opportunity to look at their rooms, look at how we can sell this destination, to showcase it that the resort is actually in Nigeria, not Zanzibar. By using the place, we would kill two birds with one stones.
Facility tour of Ziba Beach Resort
“As tour operators who are willing to tell the good story of our Nigeria, we need to bring ourselves up to the speed, align with the digital revolution. Let everybody go digital. Because we also see the content creators are taking our business, we want to align it with what they do. We are the ones that understand the business and we’ll be able to tell the story better, so that anybody coming to Nigeria will be able to discover Nigeria with the experts.”
Also commenting on the celebration, the NATOP Vice President South West and chairman of the WTD Organizing Committee for the zone, Mrs. Wonuola Olatunde-Lamidi explained why NATOP South West’s usage of the 2026 WTD for training. She said many of the members still have a lot to learn about the tour business, and that some do not understand the foundation of the business, including how to create packages hence the need for the training.
Mrs. Olatunde-Lamidi spoke further: “Many don’t understand the foundation of what it is to create a tour package. And when you have people that are not well-trained in an industry, the industry will not grow. The kind of people that you also have will not have enough earning power to do many things. And because this is an industry that I have been in for 16 years, I run Diamonds and Pearls Travels with my husband. And I’ve seen Diamonds and Pearls Travels metamorphose into a company where people don’t just look at us as travel agents. We have become a Destination Management Company (DMC). We have become a trusted brand. We have become a company that when we talk about a destination, people want to go to that destination because of how we have portrayed the destination. And you may not realize that, as tour operators, you can actually decide where people go. You can make people go to a particular destination by marketing it, by letting them know the benefits of that destination.”
The tour operators had opportunity to tour the resort and unwind during the programme.
