SODAEC CONDEMNS NON-RELEASE OF NDLEA CAPITAL FUNDS, WARNS OF SECURITY RISKS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Society for Drug Abuse Enlightenment and Control (SODAEC) has condemned the non-release of 2025 capital funds to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), describing the development as a serious threat to Nigeria’s national security.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Wednesday, SODAEC Executive Director, Ahmad Umar, said the disclosure emerged during proceedings of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Drugs and Narcotics.
Umar characterised the situation as “a calculated abandonment of Nigeria’s most critical line of defence against narcotics and insecurity,” noting that the NDLEA has continued to record operational successes despite the funding shortfall.
He observed that under the leadership of NDLEA Chairman, Mohammed Marwa, the agency has announced major seizures of illicit drugs and the destruction of cannabis farms across the country.
“These weekly interdictions show what is possible with commitment and professionalism. But commitment alone cannot replace funding,” Umar said.
According to him, the NDLEA, which serves a population of over 200 million Nigerians, currently operates with fewer than 14,000 personnel. He added that in some states, commands reportedly function with as few as three operational vehicles.
“That is not just inadequate; it is dangerous,” he warned.
Umar stressed that the NDLEA’s mandate extends beyond drug seizures to intelligence gathering, financial tracking and prosecution, arguing that the agency’s role intersects with broader national security efforts.
He maintained that the NDLEA deserves funding and welfare provisions comparable to, or even exceeding, those of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Drug money fuels banditry and terrorism. It also drives corruption and economic crimes. Strengthening the NDLEA means striking at the root of multiple security threats,” he said.
Umar further alleged that the agency appeared to receive more operational support from international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), than from domestic authorities.
SODAEC called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the non-release of the agency’s 2025 capital allocation and demanded that the NDLEA be placed on first-line charge to shield it from what it described as “annual budgetary volatility and administrative bottlenecks.”
Beyond federal intervention, the group urged state governors and local government chairmen to intensify efforts against drug abuse and trafficking within their jurisdictions.
“Nigeria cannot fight a 21st-century narco-war with shrinking resources. If the NDLEA is central to our security architecture, then statutory and predictable funding is no longer optional; it is urgent,” Umar added.
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