NDLEA, US-DEA Strengthen Partnership Against Narco-terrorism

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (US-DEA) have expressed commitment to strengthening existing partnership to counter the operations of drug cartels and decimate their capacity to fund and fuel other organised crimes such as violent extremism and terrorism.

The chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) and the country attaché of DEA in Nigeria, Ms Daphne Morrison made the commitments at a bilateral strategic counter-narcotics workshop at the NDLEA’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

At the event, Marwa said the workshop was both strategic and timely as “it is to align law enforcement leadership from Nigeria and the United States on the most significant drug-related threats affecting our two countries, as well as the wider international community. Our shared objective is to engage in frank, solution-driven discussions that will culminate in a joint declaration of shared priorities and a coordinated action plan for the next twelve months”.

Marwa , who noted that the global drug problem continues to evolve in complexity and scale, further said that “of particular concern is the well-established nexus between illicit drug trafficking and terrorism.

Drug proceeds have become a major source of financing for terrorist networks and violent extremist groups around the world. This dangerous linkage, rightly described by the United States as narco-terrorism, poses a grave threat to global peace, security, and stability. The proceeds from the poison sold on our streets are the same funds used to purchase the weapons that destabilize our regions. By attacking the drug trade, we are simultaneously starving the engines of terrorism.

“Nigeria, given its strategic geographic location, is increasingly being targeted by international drug trafficking organizations. Recent developments indicate that as enforcement pressure intensifies on drug cartels in Latin America—particularly by the President Trump administration—these criminal networks are shifting their focus and operations towards Africa, with Nigeria becoming a key transit hub.

“Today, a significant proportion of illicit drugs entering Nigeria are not intended for local consumption alone; rather, they are destined for onward trafficking to Europe, North America, and Asia. This underscores the transnational nature of the threat we face and reinforces the urgency of coordinated international action.”

The NDLEA boss said the workshop could not have come at a more critical time because of its unique opportunity to deepen collaboration, enhance intelligence-driven operations, and build a unified front against drug cartels and their associated criminal networks.

In her remarks, the DEA Country Attaché, Ms. Morrison expressed appreciation to NDLEA for choosing to host the workshop while acknowledging the tremendous successes recorded by the agency under Marwa’s leadership.

According to her, “I would like to start by acknowledging the tremendous strides NDLEA has made under the leadership of Chairman Marwa. The record-breaking seizures, arrests, and convictions over the past few years are a testament to his dedication and the successes of his war against drug abuse.”

Speaking on the significance of the partnership between NDLEA and DEA as well as the workshop, Ms. Morrison said “When I was posted here almost a year ago, one of my top priorities was to meet with the NDLEA chairman, Marwa to reaffirm the US DEA’s commitment to this critical partnership. This workshop is not merely a meeting—it is a declaration of our unified stand against transnational criminal organizations that seek to turn Nigeria into a drug trafficking hub.”