By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates are stepping up intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement against drug trafficking, following a new agreement designed to disrupt criminal networks operating along the busy travel and trade corridor.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the UAE signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
Retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, described the agreement as the culmination of years of engagement between the two agencies.
According to him, the pact would deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor, building on cooperation already established between both agencies.
Marwa disclosed that NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, in consignments bound for the UAE between 2021 and 2026.
“The seizures resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the need for stronger cooperation between the two countries,” Marwa said in a statement made available to PerSecondNews, on Saturday, by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy.
The NDLEA boss also highlighted the agency’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, including more than 91,000 arrests, among them 243 drug barons.
He reported that the agency seized more than 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals and secured 16,469 convictions during the period.
Marwa added that more than 53,000 drug users had received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, while the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.
According to the agency, the new partnership will also provide for the exchange of liaison personnel, operational information and technical cooperation between the two agencies.
As part of the arrangement, the UAE is expected to provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help prevent inadvertent violations.
On his part , Chairman of NDEA, His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between both countries.
He described the MoU as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship.
Both agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would strengthen intelligence-sharing, improve joint operations and help dismantle trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE axis.
Author
Leave a comment