KEY POINTS
- Tinubu praised the NDLEA for a $360m drug bust against a Nigerian-Mexican cartel.
- The operation seized illicit drugs and chemicals and arrested foreign and local suspects.
- He warned West Africa is now a major transit hub for hard drugs.
President Bola Tinubu has praised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for a major drug bust that broke up a Nigerian-Mexican cartel and exposed a drug production network worth more than $360 million. The agency announced the breakthrough on Wednesday. Moreover, Tinubu used a Thursday statement to hail the operation as proof of the NDLEA’s professionalism.
Inside the $360m drug bust
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, a retired general, said the operation followed weeks of intelligence work and close cooperation with international partners. Specifically, agents arrested foreign nationals, local drug kingpins and several collaborators. Additionally, they seized illicit drugs and chemicals valued at more than $360 million. Since Marwa took charge of the agency in 2021, the NDLEA has recorded a sharp rise in seizures and arrests across the country.
The haul points to local manufacturing, not just smuggling. Indeed, the seizure of large volumes of chemicals suggests the syndicate produced drugs inside Nigeria. According to the agency’s earlier account, operatives traced the network to a forest hideout in Ogun State, where they recovered methamphetamine and the materials used to make it. Moreover, a direct link between a Nigerian syndicate and a Mexican cartel is unusual, and it hints at deeper ties in the global methamphetamine trade.
Tinubu’s warning on the drug trade
Tinubu, in a statement issued by his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, praised the courage and resilience of NDLEA operatives. “This successful operation demonstrates exceptional professionalism, courage, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding society from the devastating effects of narcotics,” the president said. Therefore, he urged the agency not to relent in the fight against trafficking.
The president also framed the drug bust as part of a wider regional threat. Specifically, he warned that West Africa has become a major transit hub for cocaine, synthetic drugs and unregulated pharmaceuticals bound for Europe and North America. However, he stressed that the damage runs deeper at home, since the trade is destroying the future of many young people across the region.
A call for public vigilance
Tinubu argued that the state cannot win the fight alone. “I call on all Nigerians to see the fight against illicit drugs not NDLEA’s alone. Everyone has a role to play,” he said. Meanwhile, he asked citizens to stay alert and report suspicious activity to security agencies.
He closed with a blunt message to criminal networks. “This landmark success is a strong message that our security agencies will not tolerate organized crime,” he said. Together, the arrests and seizures signal a tougher posture. However, the warning about West Africa shows how much further the agency still has to go, since the region’s role in the global drug trade keeps growing.
