NDLEA's Marwa Urges Action on Mental Health Crisis

On October 13, 2026, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), addressed the mental health crisis at The Conversation Conference (TCC 5.0) in Abuja. He highlighted the interrelationship between drug use and mental illness, stating that they feed into each other.

Marwa warned that merely addressing symptoms without tackling underlying causes would be ineffective. He pointed out that many drug abuse cases stem from untreated mental health issues, such as depression and trauma.

Marwa discussed the NDLEA's initiatives in three pilot communities in Ondo State, where families transitioned from illicit cultivation to legitimate livelihoods. He expressed the agency's intention to expand this model nationwide and called for partnerships.

Additionally, he mentioned the NDLEA's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign and its 24/7 toll-free helpline, which supports individuals in crisis. Over the past five years, more than 53,843 individuals have utilized NDLEA's rehabilitation facilities.