The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has thrown its weight behind the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over its fierce and sustained war against illicit drugs, describing the agency’s recent operations as a courageous national service deserving of public admiration and full government backing.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the rights group hailed NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), for leading a professional, intelligence-driven campaign that continues to dismantle drug cartels across the country from Lagos and Enugu to Kwara, Taraba, and Zamfara.
HURIWA cited the NDLEA’s recent high-impact raids, including the storming of Proxy Night Club in Victoria Island, Lagos, where over 100 suspects were arrested, and the seizure of UK-bound cocaine concealed in cream containers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, as clear proof of the agency’s strategic efficiency and determination to choke drug networks.
The group also highlighted several interceptions of tramadol, methamphetamine, skunk, and other illicit substances nationwide, noting that such breakthroughs reinforce public trust in the agency’s capacity to secure Nigeria’s future generations from the scourge of addiction and criminality.
However, HURIWA expressed outrage over the recent violent ambush on NDLEA and military personnel in Ukpuje, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, describing the assault by drug cultivators as “a criminal affront to the nation’s sovereignty.”
“We find the attack on NDLEA operatives in Edo State reprehensible and unacceptable,” the statement read. “It is shocking that criminal elements still believe they can counter lawful security operations through violence. The NDLEA’s courage and restraint in such circumstances deserve national commendation.”
The association urged the Federal Government, state authorities, and all Nigerians to stand firmly behind the NDLEA, stressing that the fight against drugs is not merely a law enforcement mission but “a national survival project.”
“The war against drugs is one of Nigeria’s toughest battles,” HURIWA noted. “Under General Marwa’s dynamic leadership, the NDLEA has redefined integrity and patriotism in public service. This commitment deserves every form of support moral, financial, and institutional.”
HURIWA called for increased funding, advanced intelligence tools, and stronger legal backing to help the NDLEA sustain its momentum. It also appealed to the judiciary to fast-track prosecution of arrested traffickers to serve as deterrence.
Reaffirming its solidarity with the agency, HURIWA said:
“The NDLEA is waging a just and necessary war, a war for the soul of our nation, to protect our youth, and restore moral sanity to our streets. Every Nigerian must rally round this noble agency so that the dream of a drug-free Nigeria becomes reality.”