Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking through a new agreement between their anti-narcotics agencies.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the UAE’s National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 26 in Abu Dhabi, on the sidelines of the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
The agreement will support intelligence-sharing, operational cooperation and joint efforts to disrupt trafficking networks operating between the two countries.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa said Nigerian authorities intercepted about 354.7 kilograms of illicit drugs destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026, leading to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects.
The new agreement will also build on existing cooperation between the agencies, including the exchange of liaison personnel and operational information. The UAE is expected to provide Nigerian travellers with information on prohibited items to help prevent violations.
The NDEA chairman, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, said the UAE would continue working with Nigeria to target trafficking networks operating along the busy travel and trade corridor between the two countries.
Both agencies said the agreement is intended to improve coordinated enforcement and intelligence-sharing against cross-border drug trafficking.
