NDLEA targeting drug cartels’ financial empires — Marwa

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it is aggressively targeting the financial assets of drug trafficking networks, moving beyond arrests to dismantle the economic foundations of drug cartels in Nigeria.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), disclosed this at a joint press briefing with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, to announce weeklong activities marking the 2026 World Drug Day.

“We are not just arresting traffickers; we are liquidating their financial empires,”Marwa who was represented at the briefing by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna said.

He said the agency was deploying civil action in rem instruments to target and forfeit assets suspected to be proceeds of drug crimes to the Federal Government.

“Through the civil action in rem instrumentalities, assets reasonably suspected to be proceeds of drug crimes are aggressively targeted and forfeited to the Federal Government, effectively cutting off the lifeblood of these criminal networks,” he said.

Marwa said the agency’s legal department had achieved unprecedented conviction rates, strengthened by the Proceeds of Crime Act, which has given NDLEA greater powers to pursue the financial interests of drug barons beyond criminal prosecution.

He added that the agency’s offensive action against drug cartels, launched in January 2021, had maintained what he described as relentless momentum, leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of major drug barons.

On the activities lined up for the World Drug Day, he said on Saturday, June 20, the agency will hold a Walk Against Drugs in collaboration with Baze University, Nile University and the MTN Foundation, starting at 8:00 am from the African University of Science and Technology in Galadimawa.

A Thanksgiving Church Service will follow on Sunday, June 21, to commit the week’s activities to God.

On Monday, June 22, the agency will host the final level of its national essay competition themed “Say No to Drug: Building a Healthy and Responsible Generation” at the NDLEA Conference Room, National Headquarters, starting at 10:00 am.

Tuesday, June 23 is designated NGO Day, dedicated to civil society partners involved in grassroots sensitisation efforts, also at the NDLEA Conference Room at 10:00 am.

On Wednesday, June 24, the agency will conduct its Youth Out of School Programme, targeting youths in major markets and motor parks within the FCT Area Councils with anti-drug messaging, starting at 8:00 am.

Thursday, June 25 will be set aside for strategic planning, final reviews and briefings ahead of the grand finale.

The climax of the weeklong activities, the Grand Finale, will hold on Friday, June 26 at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, starting at 9:00 am, bringing together government functionaries, the diplomatic community and international stakeholders to unveil new policy frameworks for tackling the modern drug crisis.

The 2026 World Drug Day theme is “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses.”

Solomon Odeniyi is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over six years of professional experience. He has covered key national beats including the judiciary, military, and police, and currently reports on anti-corruption and related issues. Solomon’s work reflects a strong commitment to development-oriented reporting, public interest journalism, and accountability.

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