The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested 38,242 suspects, seized more than 5.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth over ₦2.5 trillion and secured 6,232 convictions between January 2025 and September 2026....
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested 38,242 suspects, seized more than 5.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth over ₦2.5 trillion and secured 6,232 convictions between January 2025 and September 2026.
The agency presented the figures as evidence of Nigeria’s evolving approach to drug control at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where it called for stronger international intelligence-sharing, tougher action against illicit financial networks and increased investment in drug control institutions in developing countries.
The statement was delivered on Monday, 12 October, by the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna.
Marwa said Nigeria had moved beyond a predominantly enforcement-focused approach to an integrated, intelligence-led and people-centred strategy combining law enforcement, public health, technology, financial investigations, alternative livelihoods and international cooperation.
“Trafficking networks have become more sophisticated, technology has opened new channels for illicit activity, criminal proceeds move rapidly across borders, and drug dependence continues to affect individuals, families and communities,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria had consequently expanded its focus beyond drugs and offenders to the criminal networks, illicit profits and vulnerabilities sustaining the drug trade.
According to him, the agency’s efforts have also extended to drug demand reduction, with more than 16,303 people receiving counselling, treatment or rehabilitation during the period, while prevention and sensitisation campaigns reached millions of Nigerians.
Marwa said the NDLEA was increasingly prioritising the dismantling of major trafficking organisations and the financial networks behind the trade, rather than measuring success solely by arrests and drug seizures.
He also highlighted the agency’s Alternative Development initiative, being piloted in three communities in Ondo State to help residents move away from illicit cannabis cultivation towards legitimate agricultural production.
He said sustainable drug control required more than eliminating illegal crops, stressing the need to provide viable economic alternatives that promote food security, strengthen communities and improve national security.
The NDLEA chief further cited the agency’s Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System as examples of how digital technology could improve accessibility, efficiency, transparency and integrity in public administration.
He said the reforms were being consolidated under the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030, which covers six pillars: drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, access to controlled medicines, governance and coordination, alternative development, and disruption of the illicit drug economy.
At the UN Assembly, Nigeria urged countries to improve timely intelligence-sharing to prevent criminal networks from exploiting gaps between jurisdictions.
It also called for stronger financial investigations, asset tracing and recovery to disrupt the illicit profits sustaining drug trafficking.
Other priorities included expanding prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; supporting alternative livelihoods for communities leaving illicit cultivation; and improving the capacity of law enforcement officers to respond to increasingly sophisticated drug cartels.
Nigeria also urged international partners to invest in institutions in developing countries through technology, training, forensic capabilities, treatment infrastructure and sustained technical assistance.
The country described its drug control reforms as an ongoing process rather than a finished model, expressing readiness to share experiences, learn from other nations and work with the United Nations and international partners to translate commitments into measurable results.
The statement was signed by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.