President Bola Tinubu has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for dismantling a Nigerian-Mexican drug syndicate and seizing narcotics and chemicals worth more than 360 million dollars.
NDLEA Chairman retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa announced the breakthrough on Wednesday after weeks of intelligence work and coordinated operations with international security partners. The operation resulted in the arrest of foreign nationals, local drug kingpins, and several collaborators.
Tinubu, in a statement issued Thursday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, called the bust a significant milestone in Nigeria's fight against organised crime and transborder criminal networks. He said the operation demonstrated the exceptional professionalism and courage of NDLEA operatives. "I commend the bravery, resilience, and dedication displayed by operatives of the NDLEA throughout this mission," Tinubu said. "I urge them not to be complacent in confronting the menace of drug trafficking."
The president warned that West Africa has become a major transit corridor for cocaine, synthetic narcotics, and unregulated pharmaceutical products destined for Europe and North America. Beyond security threats, he said illicit drugs pose grave dangers to young people across the region, many of whom have become victims of addiction and criminal exploitation. "Drugs not only pose a critical security threat for our region, but they also pose a grave danger to the future of our youth, some of whom have become victims of the trade," he said.
Tinubu called on all Nigerians to support the fight against drug trafficking by remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious activities in their communities. He said the operation sent a strong signal that Nigeria's security agencies would not tolerate organised crime. "This landmark success is a strong message that our security agencies will not tolerate organised crime and criminality anywhere in the country and that those who threaten public safety will face the law," he said.
The successful bust follows increasing pressure on West African governments to stem the flow of illicit drugs through the region. Intelligence agencies have documented how criminal networks exploit porous borders and weak enforcement to move narcotics northward to Europe and North America, generating billions in proceeds that fuel further criminal enterprise.
