From Adeko Ukpa, Abuja

Barely two months to the end of his tenure, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), is reportedly intensifying efforts to secure a second five-year term as pressure mounts from at least five contenders eyeing his position.

Marwa, 72, was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on January 17, 2021, and has since led a renewed campaign against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.

However, multiple security sources confirmed that internal lobbying has begun within the Presidency and security circles over who will lead the NDLEA next.

“Marwa’s tenure will end in about two months, and stakeholders are divided on whether he should get a second term,” a senior security official told The PUNCH.

“At least five people, including retired military and police officers, lawyers, and former security chiefs, are showing interest. They argue that his age and the President’s reform agenda justify a change.”

Reform Agenda and Resistance

Some officials believe President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms in the justice sector may influence the decision.

Sources said the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is driving a restructuring plan that could affect the NDLEA’s leadership.

“Among agencies in the justice sector, only the NDLEA has not undergone restructuring,” another insider said, adding that Tinubu’s administration is prioritising efficiency, human rights, and accountability across law enforcement bodies.

Critics of Marwa within government circles have reportedly suggested that he be reassigned to an ambassadorial role. They cited age, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and slow prosecution rates as key concerns.

“Despite his high-profile arrests, the NDLEA bureaucracy remains sluggish. He is seen as a lone ranger who has done well but needs stronger institutional support,” a senior agency source said.

Marwa’s Record and Defence

Under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA reportedly arrested 31,675 drug suspects and secured 5,147 convictions between 2021 and 2024.

The agency also seized more than 6,000 tonnes of illicit substances, including cocaine, tramadol, and methamphetamine, and dismantled several drug cartels operating in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Edo, and Rivers states.

A 2022 raid in Ikorodu, Lagos, led to the discovery of a 1.8-tonne cocaine warehouse, one of the largest seizures in Nigeria’s history.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) later commended the NDLEA for its enhanced enforcement drive under Marwa’s watch.

But some experts believe the agency has focused too much on small-scale offenders.

Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, said: “We need to go after the producers and distributors, not just the street vendors. Until we tackle the drug barons, we’re merely scratching the surface.”

He also called for stronger advocacy campaigns to prevent youth involvement in drug abuse and trafficking.

Presidency Connection and Lobby Efforts

Marwa’s recent visit to the Presidential Villa was seen by insiders as part of a wider lobbying effort to retain his position.

“He believes his long-standing relationship with President Tinubu, dating back to 1999 when he handed over to Tinubu as Lagos governor, could work in his favour,” one government source disclosed.

As the clock winds down on his first term, the NDLEA chief faces a delicate balancing act, defending his record while navigating a growing power tussle over the leadership of one of Nigeria’s most strategic security agencies.

Credit: The Punch

By Adeko Ukpa, Abuja

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has strongly condemned the assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, describing it as a painful and irreparable loss to the global youth movement and the democratic community at large.

In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, Frank said: “Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a big loss to this generation – not just to the United States of America, but to young people all over the world. At only 31, he had already begun to shape political discourse beyond America’s borders.

“Kirk was a rising star, a passionate patriot, and a man whose love for God, country, and humanity was evident in everything he stood for.”

Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, called on Governor Spencer Cox of Utah and the United States Government to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.

“It is important that justice is served swiftly and decisively, not only to bring closure to his family and supporters but also to send a strong message that such cowardly acts of violence have no place in any democratic society.

“I commend both the U.S. Government and the Government of the State of Utah for the progress made so far in the investigations and for keeping the public duly informed,” he said.

Frank further described Kirk as a role model whose life embodied the ideals of democracy.

“Charlie Kirk represented the truth that young people are indeed the future of politics and governance. While many may not have agreed with all his political opinions, there is no doubt that he lived for what he believed in – freedom of speech, freedom of association, and the pursuit of democratic ideals. His life and work will remain a source of inspiration to generations of young leaders worldwide,” he added.

Expressing his deepest condolences, Frank said:
“I commiserate with the Kirk family, his followers, and supporters both in the United States and across the world. I also extend my heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of the United States and to President Donald Trump.

“May Charlie Kirk’s gentle soul rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
He concluded with a call for unity and reflection: “Let Charlie Kirk’s life remind us all that no matter our political differences, violence and the taking of human life remain cowardly acts that run contrary to the ideals of democracy and humanity.

“May his teachings and his example continue to inspire a world where dialogue, freedom, and respect for differing opinions thrive.”

From Adeko Ukpa

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his APC thugs to order in Osun State.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, said the call has become necessary to restore peace in Osun state following clashes between APC and PDP faithful in the state over control of local government areas in which many lives have reportedly been lost.

Violence erupted on Monday  in Osun State as the battle for the control of the local government secretariats between the PDP and the APC turned bloody.

A Court of Appeal judgment was interpreted differently by the APC and the PDP.

Adeleke and Oyetola, who is the  Minister of Marine and Blue Economy have strongly disagreed over the alleged reinstatement verdict of the Court of Appeal.

Governor Adeleke had insisted that the sacked council chairmen cannot return to office, citing security reasons.

However, Oyetola said the Appeal Court judgment would be implemented through the instruments of law.

He added that the council executives should resume yesterday.

Frank said: “Intelligence at our disposal has revealed that the present strategy and plan by Oyetola is to make the state ungovernable for Governor Ademola Adeleke, so they can hide under the guise of crisis in the state to declare a state of emergency in Osun State.

He lamented that following the crises orchestrated by Oyetola and his APC thugs, the National Secretary of the APC, Dr Ajibola Basiru, who is from Osun State, had on live television on Monday evening urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state to curtail further violence.

He quoted Basiru to have said that: “I will suggest that perhaps it will be necessary for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency. It has gotten to that stage where hapless people coming from farms are attacked by uncontrollable PDP thugs.”

Frank said: “Their major target is to declare a state of emergency because they know that if the elections are allowed to hold today, Governor Adeleke will still win.

“So they want to abort his second term through crisis and violence to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency.

“The President is hereby called upon to break his silence in spite of the fact that Osun is his State of Origin and home town but the state is being ruled by the PDP and Governor Adedeké is the people’s choice.

“Therefore, we are using this medium to let him know that if the present crisis is allowed to degenerate beyond what has already happened, both Oyetola and himself, as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be held responsible.

“Presently, Oyetola is using Federal Might to engineer evil and anarchy in Osun State and this nonsense must stop with all urgency.”

Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to speak up to save the nation’s democracy “because what is happening in Osun state is sheer impunity, dictatorship and arrogance on the part of the APC that is trying to capture every part of the country at all cost – not through the ballot but through impunity and criminality.

“We call on the people of Osun to stand strongly with Governor Adeleke in the face of this aggression being fueled by Oyetola and the APC.

“They must not be intimidated but resist the rascality of federal might that the ex-Governor and his party are using the way they have always done.

“Come to think of it, Oyetola was governor for four years without any developmental projects to show for it but Adeleke has been there in the last two years and has done so much which has profoundly impacted the lives of the people.

“Despite the intimidation we encourage the people of Osun State to stand firm in support for Adeleke, to prevent any form of distraction in rendering good governance in the state as part of his electioneering promises.

“They must equally rise up against every plot to declare a state of emergency in the state courtesy of Oyetola and APC through which they intend to destabilize the Adeleke’s administration take over the state by all means because they know that Oyetola or any other APC candidate cannot win an election in the state to unseat Adeleke.

“So, that’s why Oyetola and APC are very desperate to take the state by force because they believe that that is the President’s home town.”