The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), has announced that Nigeria and the United Kingdom have convicted over 9,000 individuals for drug-related offences in the past three years.
He made this statement during a courtesy visit by the Head of UK Home Office International Operations (HOIO), Victoria Pullen, who was accompanied by her colleague Kristoffer Hawksfield, to sign a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the HOIO and NDLEA in Abuja on Monday.
Marwa also revealed that over the past three years, more than 52,000 arrests have been made, with the seizure of over 8,000 tons of illicit substances. He highlighted the importance of intelligence sharing and further collaboration between the UK and Nigeria, given the high volume of travellers between the two countries, which could help strengthen the fight against drug trafficking. “I’m excited that we’re signing a new MoU today,” he added.
Victoria Pullen praised the cooperation between the UK and Nigeria in combating drug trafficking and substance abuse, noting the positive results of their collaboration. She expressed her gratitude to Marwa for the “excellent cooperation,” and emphasised that the global nature of the drug trade requires coordinated international efforts. Pullen highlighted the recent successes of the NDLEA in intercepting illicit drugs as evidence of the effective collaboration between both countries.
Pullen also commended the NDLEA for its willingness to embrace new strategies and approaches, leading to improved outcomes. She referred to the commissioning of the NDLEA Marine Command Headquarters, built and donated by the UK government in Lagos, as a significant milestone in the partnership.
In response, Marwa expressed his appreciation to the UK government for its ongoing support, particularly the recent donation of the Marine Command Headquarters in Lagos and the construction of a similar operational facility at Murtala Muhammed International Airport last year. He also recognised the UK’s contributions in areas such as training and intelligence sharing, which have been critical to NDLEA’s success.
Marwa stated, “Since we initiated the reform of the NDLEA three years ago, our partnership with the Home Office International Operations has strengthened. Their contributions have significantly enhanced our capacity and improved our performance.”
