UNODC Says Nigeria No Longer Safe Haven for Drug Cartels as NDLEA Gets Modern Interrogation Facilities

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has declared that Nigeria is no longer a permissive ground for international drug cartels, citing sustained arrests, seizures and convictions recorded by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency under its current leadership.

The UNODC Country Representative in Nigeria, Cheikh Ousmane Toure, stated this in Abuja on Monday during the handover of newly upgraded audiovisual interview and interrogation rooms to NDLEA. The facilities were funded by the United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement as part of international support for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign.

Toure said transnational drug trafficking remains a major threat that fuels corruption, organised crime and violence, noting that Nigeria’s strategiclocation had long made it a target and transit route for criminal networks operating across Latin America, Asia and Africa. He added that recent enforcement successes by NDLEA had changed that narrative.

He commended NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, saying the agency had strengthened intelligence-led operations, expanded major seizures and improved prevention and treatment initiatives since 2021, sending a strong warning to international trafficking syndicates.

The donation of the interrogation rooms is expected to improve digital evidence gathering, recorded suspect interviews, case documentation and accountability in investigations. Security experts say such facilities are increasingly used globally to reduce coercive interrogations, preserve evidence integrity and improve prosecution outcomes.

Speaking at the event, Marwa said the handover marked a major step in NDLEA’s digitaltransformation drive and would improve transparency, professionalism and investigative standards across the agency.

According to him, the modern facilities would help officers conduct interviews in line with extant laws and international best practices while boosting Nigeria’s counter-narcotics capacity.

The NDLEA boss assured development partners and Nigerians that the agency was ready for the work ahead and would ensure the equipment translated into measurable results in the fight against illicit drugs.

The ceremony was attended by US-INL Deputy Director, Douglas Grane, senior UNODC officials and NDLEA management staff.

The development comes weeks after UNODC launched its 2026–2030 country programme for Nigeria aimed at strengthening criminal justice institutions, combating organised crime, improving public health and reinforcing the rule of law.