Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has warned that drug abuse is both a symptom and a driver of insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday night at the 38th anniversary reunion of the Nigerian Military School (NMS) Class of 1982, Marwa said drug abuse fuels terrorism, insurgency and violent crimes, while also weakening families, wasting talent and eroding moral values.
“Where there are drugs, there is insecurity. Where there are drugs, there is terrorism. Where there are drugs, there is moral collapse,” Marwa declared.
He disclosed that in the past two years, the NDLEA had intercepted over 1.8 billion tramadol tablets, 400 million bottles of codeine syrup and 500,000 Captagon pills concealed in machines bound for insurgents.
Marwa emphasised that discipline and character remain the strongest shields against drug abuse, urging families, schools, faith groups, NGOs and the media to join hands in the fight.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, said the Armed Forces would remain committed to loyalty, service and discipline. Represented by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, Musa praised the NMS 82 Alumni Association for sustaining brotherhood over nearly four decades, noting that the set had produced two serving Service Chiefs.
The CNS, Ogalla, recalled how NMS shaped the destinies of its alumni through discipline, resilience and loyalty.
“According to him, NMS is no ordinary school. It took us from different backgrounds and molded us for one common purpose – service to our nation. That is why I say without hesitation that nothing makes me prouder than being an NMS boy,” he said.
Ogalla urged the Class of ’82 to remain united, support their alma mater and serve as role models for current students, while reaffirming the military’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s dignity at home and abroad.
The reunion, which attracted members from across Nigeria and the diaspora, celebrated the achievements of the Class of ’82, which counts Ogalla and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, among its distinguished alumni.
