The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), has arrested 62,595 drug suspects and convicted 11,628 offenders between January 2021 to March 2025 across the 36 states and the FCT.

The NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa said this during the opening ceremony of a conference for Nigeria Governors Spouses on Tuesday in Abuja.

The event was organized by the NDLEA in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum.

The theme is “Advanced Training on Drug Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC) Stage 3 and Effective Management of the State Drug Control Committee.

Marwa said that over the past four years, the NDLEA had pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal.

This, he said, was ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes were not merely preserved but expanded.

“Permit me to inform this distinguished gathering that over the four years, the NDLEA has deployed substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem, yielding significant outcomes.

“Under the drug supply reduction mandate, encompassing drug seizures, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, we recorded the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects (Including 68 drug barons).

“We have seized 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs, and secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders. Furthermore, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed,” he said.

Marwa said that equal emphasis had been placed on drug demand reduction to ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices.

“Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions.

“Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities.

“In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilised to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation,” he said.

The NDLEA boss said that the agency had made intentional investments in the implementation of Drug Use Prevention strategies in recognising that prevention was invariably better than cure.

He said that those targeted interventions were vital in reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors against substance abuse especially amongst vulnerable and marginalised populations, including our youth.

“However dark the hour, we must not surrender to despair.

“As patriots and vanguards of our nation’s well-being, it falls on us to strengthen our resolve, to move with deliberate speed towards practical and lasting resolutions that will, God willing, break the vicious cycle of drug abuse.

“This capacity building event represents a stride, small though it may seem, in the proper direction.

“Since it is at the community level that the burden of the drug menace is most acutely felt, it is vital that stakeholders, including all of us gathered here today, address the different dimensions of the problem from a community-centred perspective.

“This gathering must strive for common ground, developing indigenous and pragmatic solutions that go beyond mere statistics and harrowing headlines, addressing instead the real and harrowing human toll of drug abuse, ” he said

 The 1.5 million candidates who scored below 200 out of the 1.9 million who sat for the 2025 UTME conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have ignited national concern.

The concerns are in relation to the quality of education and students preparedness in the examination.

Reacting to the development, Ike Onyechere, Founder, Exam Ethics Marshall International (EEMI), in an interview on Tuesday, said that the outcome was not surprising.

According to Onyechere, the examination is now being administered with ethics and professionalism hence the massive failure.

He added that the massive failure had exposed the deep-rooted problems in the nation’s education system.

”JAMB has made commendable efforts to ensure the integrity of the examination process by reducing opportunities for malpractice.

”I don’t think the JAMB statistical analysis should surprise anybody,” he said.

He emphasised that universities were increasingly alarmed by the academic quality of incoming students, noting that many of them lack basic foundational knowledge necessary for tertiary education.

Onyechere attributed the trend to systemic issues, including inadequate preparation, the inclusion of underqualified candidates, and a widespread cultural dependence on exam fraud.

”There’s moral infrastructure decadence in the system. It’s not just about the students. It involves stakeholders; schools, parents, and the government.

“Many students rely on fraudulent means to pass, and now that JAMB has blocked those avenues, their lack of preparedness is glaring,” he added.

He also noted that many candidates were not academically ready, as some were still in SS2 or underage, having not completed the syllabus.

He proposed a reform in the registration process, suggesting that only candidates with five credits in WAEC or NECO be allowed to sit in future for the UTME.

According to him, this will significantly reduce the number of applicants from nearly 2 million to about 1 million and ensure a more qualified candidate pool.

He also dismissed claims that the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format could be a barrier to performance.

”The CBT is easier in many ways. It’s mostly objective, and technology is now part of everyday life, even market women are technologically inclined. We can’t blame CBT for the poor results,” added.

Onyechere urged students to focus on talent discovery and career alignment rather than chasing certificates.

“Exams are not rocket science. It’s about working hard and understanding your strengths. Education should be a journey of self-discovery, not just certification,” he said.

He applauded government efforts to prioritise trade and vocational subjects in the curriculum, underscoring the importance of practical skills in today’s world.

He called on education stakeholders to reflect on the deeper issues in the examination failure and implement reforms to save the future of Nigeria’s academic system

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has ordered the demolition of 24 two-storey buildings illegally constructed on a waterway in Guzape District, Abuja.AMMC Coordinator, Chief Felix Obuah, issued the directive during an inspection tour of various parts of Abuja on Monday, alongside other council officials.

Obuah stated that the affected buildings were developed by Cityscape Estate on Plot 4851 without necessary approvals. He described the construction as a flagrant violation of planning regulations and vowed that the structures would be removed to serve as a deterrent to others.“We have mobilised equipment, materials, and machines on-site.“These illegal buildings erected without approval will go down,” Obuah said.“Any other building without proper approval, especially those constructed on waterways or road corridors, will be demolished.“It is no longer business as usual; we are committed to restoring Abuja to its original master plan.”He warned that AMMC officers found complicit in the approval or oversight of the illegal structures would face disciplinary action, stressing that the council would no longer tolerate negligence or sabotage.“They are receiving salaries and are expected to do their jobs.“The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is working tirelessly to change the narrative, and we will not allow any disgruntled elements to sabotage those efforts,” Obuah said.Though the demolition of one structure was carried out on-site, the council granted a two-week grace period, at the developer’s request—for the voluntary removal of all contraventions.“Failure to comply will result in full-scale demolition,” Obuah warned.Director of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, explained that the developer had originally been allocated a plot near the Federal Housing Authority Estate in the area.However, after part of the land was affected by the proposed S20 road project, additional land was allocated as compensation.“That compensation does not give the developer the right to build without obtaining proper approval,” Galadima noted.He said the infractions were discovered two weeks ago during a routine inspection.“A committee was subsequently set up to investigate the situation, which revealed that construction was ongoing in a valley area—an unacceptable practice under FCTA regulations.“Our preliminary findings show that the number of buildings on site exceeds the approved number.“This is a complete violation of the terms of approval,” Galadima added.Chairman of the FCT Building Contravention Taskforce, Mr Gabriel Musa, revealed that while only 18 buildings were approved, the developer constructed 42, more than double the permitted number.In response, the developer, Mr Kadiri Obaidi, admitted the infractions and accepted responsibility, attributing some of the unauthorised development to subscribers.“We have approval for the estate, but many infractions occurred—mostly by our subscribers, for whom we are responsible,” he said.“We acknowledge the violations and are willing to pull down the illegal structures ourselves within two weeks to salvage some of the materials.”The council granted his request on the condition that all unauthorised structures are removed at no cost to the government. (NAN