The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have pledged to strengthen cooperation to dismantle drug cartels and disrupt funding for organised crimes, including terrorism and violent extremism.
The commitment was announced on Tuesday during a bilateral strategic counter-narcotics workshop at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), and DEA Country Attaché, Ms Daphne Morrison, outlined plans to align Nigerian and US law enforcement efforts against major drug-related threats affecting both nations and the international community.
Marwa described the workshop as “strategic and timely,” with the objective of producing “a joint declaration of shared priorities and a coordinated action plan for the next twelve months.”
He highlighted the link between drug trafficking and terrorism, stating, “Drug proceeds have become a major source of financing for terrorist networks and violent extremist groups around the world… By attacking the drug trade, we are simultaneously starving the engines of terrorism.”
He also warned that Nigeria’s geographic location makes it a target for international drug trafficking, with drugs increasingly destined for Europe, North America, and Asia.
“This underscores the transnational nature of the threat we face and reinforces the urgency of coordinated international action,” he said.
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Marwa emphasised that the workshop would enhance collaboration, intelligence-sharing, and operational effectiveness. “The NDLEA is fully committed to this partnership…
The output of this workshop will serve as our operational North Star for the coming year,” he said, adding that Nigeria would take the lead in implementing agreed actions within its jurisdiction.
Ms Morrison commended NDLEA’s achievements under Marwa’s leadership, saying, “The record-breaking seizures, arrests, and convictions over the past few years are a testament to his dedication and the successes of his war against drug abuse.”
She described the workshop as “a declaration of our unified stand against transnational criminal organisations that seek to turn Nigeria into a drug trafficking hub” and said it would focus on intelligence sharing, joint operations, and training for NDLEA operatives.
“Our goal is to ensure the collaboration between the DEA and NDLEA is proactive and geared toward results, disrupting drug financial networks, and taking down high-level targets,” Morrison said, urging participants to use the workshop to build “a robust, actionable, and innovative strategy to protect our communities, empower our personnel, and secure a safer future for Nigeria and the United States.”