Trendbrio.com

News and Entertainment Update

Live
News
Wike Says He’s Closely Monitoring PDP Crisis in Oyo State 01
02
Sports
FIFA President, Infantino Defends Awarding FIFA Peace Prize to Trump, Dismisses World Cup Boycott Calls
03
Soccer
Ademola Lookman Joins Atletico Madrid
04
Soccer
Tochukwu Nnadi Joins Olympique Marseille
05
News
UK MP Dan Norris Arrested Over Alleged Rape and Sexual Offences

Tag: NDLEA

NDLEA Operatives Burst Drug Party, Arrest Over 100 Fun Seekers

Fola Badmus05 mins

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned night club operators and fun seekers about the creeping culture of organising, hosting and attending drug parties, a disturbing fad within social circles, which is a blatant illegality under the Nigerian law.   ​The Agency’s warning comes on the heels of a raid carried out by its operatives at a drug party, which held on the night of Saturday 25th October into the early hours of Sunday 26th October 2025, at Proxy Night Club located at 7 Akin Adesola street, Victoria Island Lagos where over 100 attendees were arrested along with the owner of the facility, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu alias Pretty Mike and his manager Joachin Millary.   ​According to the Agency, “any gathering organised for the purpose of consuming, distributing, or abusing illicit substances is an act of criminality. These ‘drug parties’ contravene the explicit provisions of the NDLEA Act and will be treated as serious narcotic offences. In the case of the drug party at Proxy night club, organisers went above board and had the audacity to produce and circulate flyers inviting fun seekers to come together to commit crime, an act that not only constitutes an incitement to commit crime but equally an affront to the law enforcement capabilities of the country if condoned.   ​“Nigeria is currently grappling with a very high prevalence rate of drug abuse, particularly among our youths. These illicit drug parties do not only fuel the drug scourge but equally serve as hubs for new recruitment into drug addiction and actively undermine our current national efforts to safeguard public health and security.   “In the recent case, the NDLEA was meticulous and professional throughout the processes leading to the raid and during the operation. Following intelligence on the party, our undercover agents conducted surveillance on the facility, made pre-purchases of illicit drugs from within the club and for four hours between 11pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday during the party, our operatives observed and recorded drug transactions and abuse going on before we eventually disrupted the brazen public display of illegality and made arrests.   “All attendees initially arrested were later profiled, addressed, counselled and released within hours in custody, in line with best global practices while the two principal suspects: Pretty Mike and his manager, Joachin Millary remain in custody following the seizure of 384.882 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and other substances from the club’s store.   “While the Agency will intensify surveillance and apply the full force of the law against perpetrators, owners of properties, hotels, and event centres found to be knowingly hosting such illegal activities risk the confiscation and forfeiture of their assets to the Federal Government. Those held in custody in the ongoing case will face prosecution while we will file for forfeiture of the property, Proxy Night Club, in which the drugs were found.”   ​The Agency urged all patriotic Nigerians, parents, religious and community leaders, as well as concerned citizens to be vigilant, report such activities, and partner with the NDLEA in combating this threat to national well-being.  

Read More
NDLEA Arrests Pretty Mike, Ex-BBNaija Star Tuoyo And Over 100 Others In Lagos Nightclub Raid

NDLEA Arrests Pretty Mike, Ex-BBNaija Star Tuoyo And Over 100 Others In Lagos Nightclub Raid

Wale busari07 mins

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Lagos socialite and nightclub owner, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, alongside former Big Brother Naija housemate Tuoyo Ideh, and more than 100 other guests during a midnight raid on Proxy Nightclub in Victoria Island, Lagos. In a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency said cartons of banned substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered during the operation, which took place in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 2025. According to the NDLEA, its operatives acted on credible intelligence and infiltrated the club around 11 p.m. on Saturday. The raid was launched at about 3 a.m. on Sunday in line with standard operating procedures. The statement read, “In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Nightclub at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a drug party was ongoing. Over 100 suspects, including the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening. Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects and the club’s store.” Confirming his arrest, Tuoyo Ideh took to Instagram on Sunday to express frustration over the incident. He wrote, “I have been arrested by the NDLEA from a nightclub in Lagos for basically doing nothing at all. Since around 4 a.m., they made us sit down like criminals. We are over 150 people here at NDLEA headquarters, Ikoyi. We didn’t commit any crime. They came into the club with guns and told everyone to lie down.” Efforts to reach Pretty Mike for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages as of the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, the NDLEA announced several other major drug busts across the country. At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, officers intercepted 70 parcels of cocaine weighing 3.6 kilograms concealed inside cocoa butter containers destined for London, United Kingdom. The cocaine was discovered on October 14 during the inspection of cargo declared as personal effects. The cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for airfreight, was arrested. Further investigations led to the arrest of two more suspects: a healthcare worker, Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, and a travel agency CEO, Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi. In a separate operation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, NDLEA officers foiled an attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, to smuggle 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in Diabeta herbal coffee sachets to the Philippines. Similar raids across the country led to multiple arrests and drug seizures. In Kwara State, 21,950 tramadol capsules were found hidden inside a 100-litre water heater. In Taraba, two men were caught transporting 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5. Along the Okene–Lokoja highway, officers seized 162.2 kilograms of cannabis, while another 128 kilograms was recovered in Nasarawa. In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, identified as a major distributor of high-grade cannabis known as Loud across Lekki, Ikoyi, and Ajah. Another suspect, Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe, was arrested in Ikorodu, where 275 litres of a drug cocktail called “skuchies” were recovered. Elsewhere, a 75-year-old man, Echendu Onuoka, and a 60-year-old woman, Aukana John, were apprehended in Abia State for possessing large quantities of skunk. In Ondo and Kaduna, operatives recovered hundreds of kilograms of cannabis and thousands of tramadol pills. At the Seme border in Badagry, two suspects were arrested with 55 kilograms of skunk and 121 litres of skuchies. In Zamfara, a suspect identified as Abubakar Ibrahim was arrested while transporting an AK-47 rifle and over 1,700 rounds of ammunition, allegedly destined for criminal elements in Anka Local Government Area. NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers involved in the operations for their diligence and urged them to maintain the momentum in the agency’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA). He said, “While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme, and Zamfara Commands for the arrests and seizures, I urge them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the ongoing offensive against drug traffickers and the balanced approach to the agency’s drug control efforts.”

Read More

NDLEA Arrests Widow Faking Pregnancy to Traffic Cocaine

Fola Badmus04 mins

Lagos, Nigeria – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine disguised as a pregnancy. Ezewuike, owner of Golden Star Creation on Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, was intercepted at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, on Friday, August 22, while en route to deliver the illicit consignment to clients in Abuja. A follow-up search of her residence led to the recovery of 200 grams of a cutting agent commonly used in cocaine processing. During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to inheriting the drug trade from her late husband. The arrest is part of an intensified nationwide anti-drug operation by the NDLEA targeting trafficking networks, illegal plantations, and urban distribution cells. Nationwide Crackdown Yields Massive Seizures In Lagos, NDLEA operatives also seized 90 parcels of Loud cannabis, weighing 48.6kg, concealed in three cartons of imported kitchen sinks from the United States. In Abuja, two dispatch riders were apprehended in the Jabi area while distributing illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory. In Kano, a significant haul of 452,070 opioid pills was recovered from the residence of a suspect who is currently on the run. Several others were arrested in possession of codeine syrup, tramadol, and pregabalin capsules. In Adamawa, a raid on the home of a known drug dealer led to the recovery of 354,480 tramadol pills and the seizure of two vehicles believed to be used for drug distribution. Major Cannabis Plantations Destroyed In coordinated operations across Delta, Ondo, Edo, and Taraba States — supported by military and civil defence personnel — NDLEA teams destroyed more than 75,000 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) cultivated on plantations spanning over 25 hectares. Marwa Commends Officers’ Efforts Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), lauded the agency’s operatives for their diligence and courage. He urged officers to sustain the agency’s balanced approach in the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), which combines enforcement with prevention, rehabilitation, and public education. “The agency’s operations are yielding results, but the fight must continue on all fronts — from arrests to awareness,” Marwa said. The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug networks and safeguarding Nigerian communities from the scourge of illicit drug abuse and trafficking.

Read More
NDLEA Arrests 80-Year-Old Woman in Calabar,

NDLEA Arrests 80-Year-Old Woman in Calabar, Uncovers Drugs Hidden in Moimoi Sachets and Canned Foods

Fola Badmus03 mins

In a startling operation that has drawn national attention, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 80-year-old woman, Mrs. Grace Ekpeme, in Calabar, Cross River State, for her alleged involvement in a drug trafficking network that spans multiple states across Nigeria. The arrest was made on Saturday, July 26, 2025, following actionable intelligence gathered by the agency. Operatives stormed her residence on Edet-Nsa Street, Base Site, Calabar South, where she was taken into custody. Drugs Hidden Inside Moimoi Sachets and Canned Goods During the raid, NDLEA operatives uncovered over three kilograms of skunk, a highly potent form of cannabis, hidden in food packaging. The agency revealed that narcotics were cleverly concealed in moimoi sachets and canned foods, part of a growing trend among traffickers to use household items to smuggle drugs past checkpoints and law enforcement. Seized items included: According to officials, the discovery is part of a broader crackdown on sophisticated drug syndicates that exploit food packaging to evade detection and prosecution. NDLEA: No One Is Above the Law An NDLEA spokesperson reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy, stating that age or status will not shield anyone from facing the full force of the law. “This operation reflects our unwavering commitment to fight drug trafficking across all levels,” the spokesperson said. “Age, gender, or social standing is no barrier to prosecution.” Mrs. Ekpeme remains in custody and is expected to face charges after investigations are concluded. Authorities confirmed she will be tried alongside others arrested during the coordinated national operation. Nationwide Crackdown Intensifies The arrest comes amid an ongoing nationwide offensive by the NDLEA to dismantle drug trafficking rings and disrupt distribution channels. The agency has made a series of high-profile arrests in recent months and continues to call on the public to report suspicious activities. “We urge all citizens to stay alert and help protect our communities. Together, we can weaken these criminal networks,” the NDLEA added.

Read More

NDLEA Busts Syndicate Sponsoring Pilgrims with Cocaine to Hajj

Fola Badmus67 mins

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a syndicate that sponsors hajj pilgrims who also serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage. This followed the arrest of leaders of the cartel in Kano. The arrest of the kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims: Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Monday 26th May during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia. The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence. When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg. Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specializes in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia. A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano. In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport on Wednesday 28th May intercepted a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran. His body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg. At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, men of Custom Service and other security agencies between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May, during which 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth Five Billion Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N5,776,400,000) in street value were seized while a total of Five Million One Hundred Thousand (5,100,000) pills of opioids especially tapentadol 225mg worth Three Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira Only (N3,570,000,000) were recovered. This brings the combined street value of the opioids to Nine Billion Three Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N9,346,400,000.00) In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road Friday 30th May intercepted the duo of Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with Nine Hundred Thousand US dollars ($900,000) cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation. While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore – Yola road, Adamawa state on Tuesday 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday 31st May arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin where various quantities of opioids including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup were seized from her. The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil LGA, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others. While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Read More

Kwara Shortlists 1,800 Applicants for TESCOM Job

Fola Badmus05 mins

One-thousand-eight-hundred (1,800) applicants have been shortlisted for teaching appointments at the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), according to a statement on Sunday. The statement said the shortlist comprises 790 (44%) cleared for STEM subjects; 581 for core subjects; 370 for specialized subjects; and 59 for technical subjects— to be assigned to senior secondary schools across the 16 local government areas of the state in line with the needs assessment of the commission. Applicants who appeared for the interviews are to check their status on the portal, after which those shortlisted will undergo a mandatory drug test to ascertain their suitability to teach children, the statement added. The drug test will be carried out by the NDLEA and will be coordinated by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Drugs Abuse, Prevention and Control Hon. Mukail Olamilekan Aileru. The commission said the drug test certificate will be sent to its office by the NDLEA as no candidate is allowed to access it on their own to curb counterfeiting. “His Excellency has graciously approved full payment for the drug test for all the 1,800 successful candidates, underscoring his commitment to a drug-free Kwara State. The test will begin on Wednesday April 9, 2025 and end on Saturday April 12, 2025. Shortlisted candidates from Baruten, Edu, Kaiama, and Patigi are slated for Wednesday,” the statement said. “Those from Ekiti, Ifelodun, Irepodun, and Isin will be tested on Thursday April 10; Offa, Oke Ero, Oyun, and Moro are slated for Friday April 11, while the candidates from Asa, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, and Ilorin West are to have theirs on Saturday. “The message is very clear: We are as interested in sound education as we are in having only tutors with sound mind and character.” Successful applicants will also sign a bond not to seek or get transfer for six years, a policy response to the dearth of teachers in rural areas, it added. “Shortlisted applicants are to also come with medical certificates from any state government hospitals as well as the original copies of their credentials for documentation during which they will be required to drop photocopies of same for record purposes,” according to the statement. The statement said shortlisted applicants will also submit handwritten letters of acceptance of the job offer. Other conditions of service will be spelt out during the documentation process, it added. The commission said the shortlisted candidates can take advantage of their drug test schedule to begin their documentation at its headquarters in Ilorin. “We thank all the applicants who took part in this rigorous and competitive process. Our shortlist is exclusively based on merit, needs assessment, and equity, with zero political interference,” the statement said. “This is as strictly directed by His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, to strengthen public confidence in our schools, encourage excellence, and give everyone a fair chance to get the limited government placement, irrespective of their backgrounds. “It is, indeed, another record breaker and we thank the Governor for this exemplary leadership. “These jobs were given to competent and qualified indigenes, non-indigenes, and persons living with disabilities once they come under the needs assessment and meet the criteria set by the commission.”

Read More

NDLEA intercepts UK-bound illicit drug consignment in Lagos

Fola Badmus05 mins

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in duvet, packaged for export to the United Kingdom through the cargo shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos. Two suspects: Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun linked to the bid to export the consignment to the UK were promptly arrested following the discovery by NDLEA officers on Tuesday 21st January 2025. Six parcels ofthe psychoactive substance with a gross weight of 3.50 kilograms were concealed inside the duvet. In his statement, Austin Balogun who is the main agent who hired Adakole, claimed he was paid N700,000 to cargo the consignment to UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk to pay for an apartment. At least, two suspects: Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun were arrested at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu area of Lagos when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in the community where seven litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant, cannabis and opioids, were recovered. Other exhibits seized from the duo include: three locally made double barrel riffles; one locally made double barrel pistol; one English made pistol; one locally made single barrel riffle; three cartridges and one empty 9mm cartridge as well as an iron – head axe. Another raid in Lagos on Sunday 19th January led to the seizure of 47kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46kg Nitrous Oxide popularly known as laughing gas at the notorious Akala area of Mushin. In Ekiti, a 26-year-old suspect Adepoju Taiwo was arrested by NDLEA officers on Thursday 23rd January with 1.950kg Canadian Loud at Iworoko road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives on Monday 20th January at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of Kwara State. A total of 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56kg were recovered from him. A Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, with two others: Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, while 13.1kg skunk and 125 litres of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance were recovered from them. In Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu council area of Kano state, a cannabis plantation was located and destroyed by a team of NDLEA officers who arrested a suspect, Sabo Ali Muhammad, 45, linked to the farm. Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Army Children Secondary School, Oyo, Oyo state; Government Day Secondary School, Gwadangwaji, Kebbi state; Government Day Secondary School, Suleja, Niger state; St. Dominic Comprehensive College, Oron, Akwa Ibom state; District Junior College, Agege, Lagos; and residents of Pompomari community, Damaturu, Yobe stat, among others. While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitization activities in every part of their areas of responsibility.

Read More

Marwa seeks more NASS support, defends N67.5B 2025 NDLEA budget

Fola Badmus08 mins

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has expressed appreciation to the National Assembly especially the Senate and House Committees on Narcotic Drugs for their commitment to the nation’s fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking while he appealed for their continued support to enhance the capacity and capability of the Agency to deliver on its mandate. Marwa made the appeal on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th January when he led his management team to defend the 2025 budget proposal of the Agency before the House Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics respectively. He equally thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unrelenting encouragement to the NDLEA. “I wish to first appreciate the honorable chairman, the deputy chairman, and distinguished members of this esteemed committee for your invaluable and consistent support throughout the 2024 fiscal year. This committee, under its able and dynamic chairman, has demonstrated remarkable courage and commitment towards the war against drug abuse. In particular, your effort towards the amendment of the NDLE Act is also highly appreciated. “And I respectfully ask your good offices to continue to assist in our area of critical needs during the appropriation process. Our commands across the federation are contending with significant challenges, particularly lack of accommodation. “I cannot overstate this matter because it all comes to my desk when you get these reports of attacks on our officers and so on and so forth, killing personnel and their families. So, we know that we trust that this esteemed committee will do its best. And we know that there are compelling demands from other MDAs, but the barracks project is critical to the operational efficiency and success of NDLEA. “I must not forget to seize this opportunity to also appreciate President Bola Tinubu for his continuing support and encouragement to the agency. I also wish to reaffirm the agency’s unwavering commitment to working collaboratively with the National Assembly, in particular this esteemed committee, to advance our shared vision of a drug-free Nigeria. With your support, we are confident in our ability to enhance our operations and fulfill our mandate of safeguarding the security of our nation”, Marwa stated in his remarks while pleading for budgetary provision for the ongoing barracks accommodation for the personnel of the agency to enhance their security, dedication and performance. In the budget proposal for 2025 fiscal year, the agency was allocated Sixty-Seven Billion Five Hundred and Twelve Million Five Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand Sixty-Three Naira Eighty Kobo (N67, 512, 564, 063.80), with recurrent personnel cost taking N47, 159,240, 496.80; recurrent overhead N3, 384,332, 017.00 and capital expenditure N16, 968, 991, 550.00. He explained that the recurrent personnel cost reflects the nominal roll of the agency’s staff strength totaling over 14,038 officers, men and women, while the recurrent overhead cost covers the operational expenses of intelligence gathering, arrests, seizures, investigations and prosecutions. The NDLEA boss called for the enhancement of the N16 billion provided for capital expenditure, which has zero allocation for the ongoing barracks project component to enable the agency continue with the provision of secure accommodation for its workforce across the country. Justifying his plea, Marwa said “the agency faces growing challenges, including sophisticated drug cartels, drug abuse and inadequate critical infrastructure. To address these issues, NDLEA has embarked on reforms, including constructing barracks to accommodate its personnel, improve operational integrity and ensure security. Currently, many commands operate from rented facilities, which are inadequate for effective administration. Proper accommodation will enhance staff morale, ensure security, and strengthen the agency’s capacity to execute its mandate” In his remarks, House Committee Chairman on Narcotic Drugs, Hon Abass Adigun assured of their commitment to adequate funding to enhance NDLEA’s operational successes. “This committee recognizes the critical role the NDLEA plays in safeguarding our communities from the scourge of narcotics and illicit substances. As we engage in today’s deliberations, we remain committed to ensuring that public funds are allocated efficiently, with a focus on measurable outcomes, transparency, and accountability. I urge all participants to contribute thoughtfully as we work together to ensure the NDLEA is well-resourced to fulfill its vital mandate in the new year”, the lawmaker stated. Speaking in the same vein on Tuesday 14th January 2025, Senate Committee chairman on Drugs and Narcotics, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo congratulated the agency for its outstanding performance in 2024. “We’re all witnesses to the good work you are doing and we are proud of your performance”, the committee chairman stated, assuring of more support to enable the agency function effectively in the new year.

Read More