The UK renews partnership with NDLEA to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking. Recent successes highlight the effectiveness of this collaboration.
Victoria Pullen from the UK Home Office International Operations noted the positive results from the UK renews partnership with NDLEA. She was on a courtesy visit to the Chairmanof NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) on Oct 21. They later signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding between HOIO and NDLEA in Abuja.
Pullen emphasized the global nature of drug trafficking and the need for united efforts. Pullen praised the NDLEA’s achievements, stating that recent successes demonstrate effective cooperation.
Key developments in the partnership
The head of the HOIO was impressed with the positive results recorded by the NDLEA in recent times. The recent commissioning of the NDLEA Marine Command Headquarters, built with UK support, signifies a strong investment in the fight against drugs, it was noted.
Pullen said, “the issue of drug trafficking is a huge global issue, and like many big challenges such as drug trafficking, it takes a huge global effort to try and counter that. I think it’s evident by some of the recent successes and the volume of some of the illicit commodities that your teams are finding that that cooperation is working exceptionally well currently, and we are currently really enjoying working with your team on those successes.”
Future expectations from the UK-NDLEA partnership
Pullen expressed optimism about the future, stating that the partnership would yield significant benefits for Nigeria. She reiterated that the UK renews partnership with NDLEA aims to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs globally.
“Our team has got nothing but very positive things to say about the relationship that we have with you and your team. And we look forward to the future and building on those and making them a lot better… We like the way that you’ve worked with the UK and the levels of engagement that we’ve enjoyed with the teams,” she added.
Marwa’s Gratitude and Request for Continued Support
Brig Gen Marwa expressed gratitude for the UK’s support, highlighting the importance of the new Marine Headquarters.
“Since we kicked off the reform of NDLEA three years ago, we have enjoyed an increasing partnership with the Home Office International Operations. The HOIO is one of our major partners whose contributions immeasurably enhance the capacity of NDLEA positively,” he stated.
Marwa named some of his achievements. “We have made, in three years, over 52,000 arrests. We have made seizures of over 8,000 tons of illicit substances, and convictions in excess of 9,000. That’s a very significant success in court. Given the volume of traffic of travellers between the UK and Nigeria, there is a need for sharing of intelligence and actionable data. Further collaboration in that respect will further strengthen our relationship. So, I excited that we’re signing a new MoU here today.”
He noted that this partnership has greatly enhanced NDLEA’s capacity. Marwa requested ongoing assistance to combat drug trafficking and strengthen intelligence sharing.
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