The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have announced a weeklong series of activities to commemorate the 2026 World Drug Day, with the anti-narcotics agency reaffirming its resolve to dismantle criminal networks by targeting their financial assets.
Speaking at a joint press briefing in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the agency was intensifying efforts to disrupt drug trafficking syndicates and deprive them of resources used to sustain their operations.
Marwa said the agency’s legal department had recorded unprecedented conviction rates, strengthened by the Proceeds of Crime Act, adding that the NDLEA was not only arresting traffickers but also “liquidating their financial empires.”
According to him, assets suspected to be proceeds of drug crimes are being aggressively pursued and forfeited to the Federal Government to effectively cut off the lifeblood of criminal organisations.
Marwa noted that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse initiative, launched in 2021, had evolved into a whole-of-society approach that combines enforcement with social advocacy, public enlightenment and community engagement.
The NDLEA and UNODC outlined activities to mark the 2026 World Drug Day, including a walk against drugs, religious services, a national essay competition, youth outreach programmes, NGO engagement and a grand finale scheduled for June 26 at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane Toure, represented by Deputy Country Representative Danielo Campisi, said Nigeria must address longstanding drug-related challenges while adapting to emerging threats such as synthetic substances, sophisticated trafficking networks and digital illicit markets.
He reaffirmed the UN agency’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through evidence-based interventions, innovation, international cooperation and human-centred approaches aimed at tackling the evolving global drug problem.
