NDLEA, Egypt to Strengthen Cooperation in Fight Against Drug Trafficking

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it is set to deepen collaboration with Egypt in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on intelligence sharing, joint operations and training.

In a statement released to the press by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Fouad, at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Marwa said the proposed agreement would strengthen institutional cooperation between both countries in tackling the growing global drug problem. He noted that the NDLEA already collaborates with several international law enforcement agencies and stressed the need for African countries to work together to prevent drug cartels from expanding their operations on the continent.

The NDLEA boss also highlighted the agency’s recent successes, including the dismantling of methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by Mexican drug traffickers in Nigeria, saying the proposed partnership with Egypt would further enhance efforts to combat transnational narcotics trafficking.

Earlier, the Egyptian Ambassador said stronger collaboration between Nigeria and Egypt was essential to addressing drug trafficking from a continental perspective. He described both countries as leading African nations with a shared responsibility to curb the illicit drug trade and pledged Egypt’s commitment to closer cooperation with the NDLEA.