NDLEA Targets Drug Cartels’ Finances, Unveils Activities For World Drug Day 2026

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it is intensifying efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks by targeting the financial structures and assets of drug cartels across the country.

The agency disclosed this while announcing activities lined up for the 2026 World Drug Day commemoration in Abuja.

Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the agency’s Secretary, Barrister Shadrack Haruna, said the fight against illicit drugs has gone beyond arrests and prosecutions.

According to him, the agency is increasingly tracing, seizing and securing the forfeiture of assets believed to have been acquired through proceeds of drug-related crimes as part of efforts to weaken criminal networks.

Marwa also noted that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign has grown into a nationwide movement involving communities, schools, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in the campaign against substance abuse, particularly among young people.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the global drug challenge continues to evolve, creating new threats that require coordinated responses from governments and stakeholders.

The organisation stressed that partnership, innovation and sustained action remain critical to protecting communities and reducing the impact of drug abuse.

Activities scheduled for the weeklong commemoration include a walk against drug abuse, youth outreach programmes, an essay competition and engagements with civil society organisations.

The grand finale of the 2026 World Drug Day celebration is scheduled to hold on June 26 at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.