US AFRICOM Pledges Enhanced Support For NDLEA In Fight Against Illicit Drugs

The United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) has pledged enhanced collaboration and support for Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its fight against illicit drugs.

The assurance came during a meeting on Tuesday between a senior US AFRICOM delegation and NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd).

The meeting, confirmed in a statement released on Tuesday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, saw the US officials commending the existing partnership between NDLEA and AFRICOM while promising further assistance in capacity building and international cooperation.

Leading the delegation, Philip Esch, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Liaison to AFRICOM, described the relationship between NDLEA and the US-DEA as “not only a partnership but highly important to the US government.”

He praised Marwa for his leadership and willingness to collaborate with international partners.

“We appreciate all the support and the leadership you provide. Obviously, you know that the relationship between NDLEA and DEA is of utmost importance, and we appreciate the excellent relationship across US law enforcement with you and the NDLEA. We want that to continue, and we are very happy that your tenure was renewed for another five years. We really look forward to continued engagement,” Esch said.

Also addressing the meeting, James Elseth, another member of the delegation, expressed enthusiasm for supporting NDLEA, highlighting the agency’s contribution to regional security.

“I want to thank you, General, because you have a regional mindset and an international mindset, that is showing clearly in the scope and impact of your work. A lot of countries that we work with are only focused on their country. And just like DEA and FBI, we have an international mindset to try to stop organized crime from impacting our respective countries,” Elseth said.

He also commended NDLEA for the maintenance of US-provided equipment and facilities and revealed that “two major projects are already in the works to further support the Agency in addition to trainings and others.”

Responding, Marwa expressed gratitude for the visit and acknowledged the critical support NDLEA was receiving from US-AFRICOM and other international partners.

He also congratulated Philip Esch for his years of service to the US government.

“We appreciate very much the ongoing support from AFRICOM. I must also say that whatever we are achieving is due to this kind of support from you and our other international partners and more importantly due to the commitment and encouragement from the renewed hope administration of President Bola Tinubu,” Marwa stated.

He further urged the delegation to continue supporting NDLEA, especially given the nexus between illicit drugs and terrorism, and outlined specific areas of need, including scanning equipment at airports, digital forensic tools, portable drug detection devices, forensic laboratory equipment, and sniffer dogs.