The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the United Arab Emirates, marking a new chapter in the fight against drug trafficking between the two countries.

NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the MoU was signed on Saturday, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice being held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, described the agreement as the culmination of years of steady engagement between the two agencies.

Mr Marwa noted that it would deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

He disclosed that between 2021 and 2026, the NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat.

He said they were concealed in consignments going to the UAE, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, and said this underscored the urgency of the new partnership.

He further highlighted NDLEA’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, which includes over 91,000 arrests (among them 243 drug barons).

This, he said, included the seizure of more than 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, 16,469 convictions, and the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of over 53,000 drug users.

He added that the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.

Mr Marwa said the new partnership with NDEA would build on the exchange of liaison personnel, the sharing of operational information, and the technical cooperation already established between the two agencies.

This, he said, included plans for the UAE to provide Nigerian travellers a comprehensive list of prohibited items to guard against inadvertent violations.

In his remarks, the Chairman of NDEA, His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria.

This, he said, would be to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between both nations.

He, however, described the MoU as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship.

Both agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would translate into stronger intelligence-sharing, more successful joint operations and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE axis.

This aligns with the shared global responsibility championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

(NAN)