By Charles Pemu 
The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has disclosed the arrest of two individuals attempting to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia under the guise of performing Hajj.
Speaking at the opening of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, Marwa said the suspects had ingested the drugs and posed as devout pilgrims to evade detection.
“Just days ago, we apprehended two individuals who swallowed cocaine and claimed to be travelling for Hajj,” he said.
He warned that criminal syndicates increasingly exploit religious pilgrimages for drug trafficking, referencing a past case where three women were unknowingly used as drug couriers after receiving sponsored Hajj packages. Cocaine had been concealed in bags given to them for delivery.
Despite limited funding, Marwa affirmed NDLEA’s commitment to implementing the National Drug Control Master Plan (2021–2025), citing pending presidential assent to an amended NDLEA Act that will strengthen the agency’s legal and operational framework.
Reviewing recent achievements, he reported that in 2023 and 2024, NDLEA arrested 31,334 drug offenders, secured 6,839 convictions, seized over 4.3 million kilograms of drugs, and destroyed 426.47 hectares of cannabis farms. Additionally, 19,033 individuals received rehabilitation and counselling services.
Representing the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed that the ministry had collaborated with NDLEA on legal reforms, including the amendment of the agency’s Act and frameworks for managing proceeds of crime.
“These efforts aim to enhance NDLEA’s capacity to disrupt drug trafficking networks and reduce substance abuse nationwide,” he said.