Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah

Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (born 13 November 1954) is a retired Nigerian Army Colonel who served as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency appointed to the post by President Muhammadu Buhari on 11 January 2016.

Education

Abdallah obtained a Certificate of Education from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1977. He earned a Bachelor's degree in American Politics and Government from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, in 1989. He subsequently obtained a Master's degree in Public Administration, as well as LLB and LLM degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 2005 and 2011 respectively, and a Bachelor of Law from the Nigerian Law School in 2006.

Career

Abdallah served in the Nigerian Army for over 30 years, holding various capacities and strategic positions before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

On 11 January 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Abdallah as chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for an initial five-year tenure, succeeding Ahmadu Giade, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police who had served as NDLEA chairman for ten years. During his tenure, the agency continued to receive international training support from governments including the United States, Germany, Spain, France and the European Union.

Abdallah's five-year tenure completed on 11 January 2021. President Buhari opted not to grant him a second term, and he was succeeded by retired Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa.