US Security Institute Names NDLEA Boss Marwa Security Leader of the Year 2025
A United States–based security research and strategy organisation, Ogun Security Research and Strategic Consulting LLC (OSRS), has named the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), as its Security Leader of the Year 2025.
OSRS, a Texas-based firm, announced the recognition in a statement published on its website on Thursday, December 25, 2025, citing Marwa’s outstanding performance in operational success, integrity, institutional reform, and sustained public confidence.
According to the organisation, the award followed an independent, AI-assisted and evidence-based assessment of Nigeria’s security landscape in 2025, a year it described as one that demanded more than the application of force.
“Nigeria’s security landscape in 2025 required leadership that could deliver results while earning public trust, protecting rights, and strengthening institutions,” OSRS said, noting that Marwa emerged as the clear choice among security leaders evaluated during the period.
The organisation explained that rather than focusing solely on arrest figures, it assessed leadership performance using four key pillars: operational effectiveness and measurable national impact; respect for human rights and the rule of law; employee welfare, morale, and internal discipline; and public perception, trust, and institutional credibility.
To ensure objectivity, OSRS said artificial intelligence was deployed to analyse open-source reports, performance data, and verified records, with human experts reviewing and validating the outputs.
“This approach reduced bias while preserving professional judgment. Across all indicators, one leader consistently ranked highest,” the statement said.
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OSRS noted that under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA recorded historic achievements in 2025, including the dismantling of international drug trafficking networks, interception of record quantities of illicit drugs, and disruption of criminal supply chains that fund terrorism, banditry, and organised violence.
“These were not isolated seizures but intelligence-driven operations executed through cooperation with international partners and supported by strong internal controls,” the organisation stated, adding that the NDLEA’s actions delivered national security impact beyond traditional law enforcement.
Beyond operational results, OSRS highlighted institutional reforms introduced under Marwa, stressing that the agency avoided major corruption scandals in a sector often affected by such challenges. It said officers were promoted and rewarded based on performance, clearer career pathways were established, and accountability mechanisms, including the introduction of body-worn cameras, enhanced operational transparency.
Employee welfare, the organisation added, was treated as a core security issue, leading to improved morale, professionalism, and consistency across the agency.
Commenting on public trust and ethical leadership, OSRS, led by renowned global security expert Dr. Oludare Ogunlana, said the NDLEA emerged in 2025 as one of the few security institutions widely viewed as functional, credible, and disciplined.
“Marwa’s leadership style emphasised professionalism over intimidation and accountability over impunity,” the statement said, noting that the agency avoided human rights controversies that have undermined confidence in other institutions.
OSRS said Marwa’s selection reflects a broader shift in how security leadership is evaluated, stressing that institutional integrity, staff welfare, discipline, and intelligence-led operations are now central to effective security governance.
“Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa’s selection as the OSRS Security Leader of the Year 2025 is not about personality. It is about proof,” the organisation concluded. “In a year of pressure and uncertainty, his leadership showed that results, reform, and trust can coexist.”
The statement was signed by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and issued from the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
By PRNigeria
