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, describing the move as a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s fight against illicit drugs and drug trafficking.
The rights group also praised the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for advancing the proposed legal reforms, while commending the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), for his leadership in the agency’s campaign against drug traffickers and organised drug networks. 
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA said the proposed legislation could strengthen the institutional capacity of the NDLEA, expand its legal powers and improve its ability to investigate and prosecute drug-related offences.
The organisation said drug barons and trafficking cartels constituted a serious threat to public safety, national security and the future of Nigerian youths, stressing the need for a stronger legal and institutional framework to dismantle their networks.
HURIWA said the proposed review of the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act could help close gaps in Nigeria’s drug-control laws and provide a more comprehensive legal framework for combating drug trafficking and related offences.
The group consequently urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to treat the NDLEA Bill 2026 as a matter of urgent national importance and expedite its consideration and passage.
It warned that unnecessary delays in the legislative process could undermine the momentum generated by the President’s initiative and weaken ongoing efforts to confront sophisticated drug trafficking networks.
HURIWA also called on lawmakers across party lines to support the proposed reforms and provide the NDLEA with a stronger legal foundation to investigate suspected drug crimes, disrupt trafficking networks and bring offenders to justice in accordance with the law.
“HURIWA commends President Tinubu for taking this important legislative step, praises the Attorney-General of the Federation for supporting the legal reform process and applauds Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa for his leadership in the fight against illicit drugs.
“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.
The rights group, however, stressed that stronger legislation must be complemented by adequate funding, modern investigative equipment, effective inter-agency cooperation and strict adherence to due process and fundamental human rights.
It further urged the Federal Government to sustain public education and drug-prevention programmes, while expanding access to treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services for people affected by drug abuse.
HURIWA said the proposed reform should ultimately translate into tangible improvements in the fight against illicit drugs, including stronger action against trafficking networks, more effective enforcement and better protection for young Nigerians from the dangers associated with illicit substances.
The organisation therefore charged the National Assembly to prioritise the bill and demonstrate the political will required to strengthen Nigeria’s campaign against drug trafficking.
