By our correspondent
ABUJA – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
The agreement was signed on Saturday, September 26, 2026, 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 (retd.), said the pact would deepen intelligence sharing, operational cooperation and joint enforcement actions between the two countries.
Marwa said the agreement was the outcome of sustained engagements between the two agencies over the years, adding that it would help disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong travel, trade and people-to-people links between Nigeria and the UAE.
According to him, NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, in consignments destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026.
He said the interceptions led to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the need for stronger cooperation between the two countries.
The NDLEA boss also disclosed that between January 2021 and July 2026, the agency arrested more than 91,000 suspects, including 243 drug barons, and seized over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals.
He added that the agency secured 16,469 convictions within the period, while more than 53,000 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
Marwa further said the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school-based advocacy programmes.
He explained that the new agreement would build on existing cooperation between NDLEA and NDEA, including the exchange of liaison personnel, sharing of operational intelligence and technical assistance.
Marwa also disclosed that the UAE would provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help prevent inadvertent violations of the country’s drug laws.
Chairman of the NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating between both countries.
He described the MoU as a natural progression of the productive relationship already existing between the two agencies.
The two agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would lead to enhanced intelligence sharing, more coordinated operations and the disruption of transnational drug trafficking networks along the Nigeria-UAE route.
The development, according to the NDLEA, also reinforces the shared international responsibility against illicit drug trafficking championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The statement was signed by **Femi Babafemi, Headquarters, Abuja**, on Saturday, September 26, 2026.