The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for transmitting the proposed National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill 2026 to the National Assembly, while praising the agency’s chairman, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), for his leadership in the fight against illicit drugs.
The association also applauded the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, for advancing the proposed legal reforms, urging the National Assembly to fast-track the bill’s passage.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA described the proposed legislation as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional response to drug trafficking.
The rights group said the bill could strengthen the NDLEA’s operational capacity, expand its legal powers and improve its ability to investigate suspected drug-related offences and disrupt trafficking networks.
It warned that drug barons and trafficking cartels pose serious threats to public safety, national security and the future of Nigerian youths, stressing the need for a stronger legal framework to tackle the menace.
HURIWA also noted that the proposed review of the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act could address gaps in the country’s drug-control laws and provide a more consolidated framework for enforcing drug-related offences.
The association called on the Senate and the House of Representatives to treat the bill as a matter of urgent national importance and ensure its consideration and passage without unnecessary delays.
It urged lawmakers across party lines to support the reform, warning that prolonged delays could undermine the momentum created by the President’s legislative initiative.
“We urge the National Assembly to act swiftly, pass the bill and enable the President to assent to it. Nigeria cannot afford to leave its anti-drug enforcement institutions without the strongest practical legal framework necessary to confront powerful drug barons and trafficking cartels,” the statement said.
HURIWA, however, stressed that stronger laws must be accompanied by adequate funding, modern investigative equipment, effective inter-agency cooperation and strict respect for due process and fundamental human rights.
The group also called for sustained public education, drug-prevention programmes, treatment and rehabilitation services to complement enforcement efforts.
It said the proposed reform should deliver tangible results, including more effective action against trafficking networks and better protection for young Nigerians from the dangers of illicit substances.
HURIWA urged the National Assembly to demonstrate the political will required to strengthen Nigeria’s campaign against drug trafficking by prioritising the bill’s passage.