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 (UAE) to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking between the two countries.
According to a statement from the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the MoU was signed on Saturday, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the agreement as the culmination of years of steady engagement between the two agencies.
He said the pact would deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
Marwa disclosed that between 2021 and 2026, the NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, concealed in consignments destined for the UAE.
He said the seizures resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the urgency of the new partnership.
The NDLEA boss also highlighted the agency’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, which he said included more than 91,000 arrests, including 243 drug barons; the seizure of over 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals; and 16,469 convictions.
He added that more than 53,000 drug users had received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, while the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.
Marwa said the new partnership with the NDEA would build on the exchange of liaison personnel, the sharing of operational information, and the technical cooperation already established between the two agencies.
He added that the UAE would provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help guard against inadvertent violations.
In his remarks, NDEA Chairman His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks that exploit the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
He described the MoU as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship between the two agencies.
Both agencies said the agreement would lead to stronger intelligence-sharing, more successful joint operations, and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE axis.
They said the partnership aligned with the shared global responsibility championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).