Nigeria, India agree to block pipeline of illicit drug flow as NDLEA, NCB sign MoU

INDEPENDENT NG

 Tough time awaits traffickers of illicit drugs between Nige­ria and India with a historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Na­tional Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the Nar­cotics Control Bureau of India in Abuja on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.

Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) who signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria’s premier anti-nar­cotics Agency said the move represents a robust partnership in the effort to exterminate in­cidences of drug abuse and il­licit drug trafficking in the two countries

He said, “This bold step taken by the two agencies is an affirmation of our foresight and commitment to the task of ensuring the safety of our citi­zens and the global community at large. Today’s development constitutes a fundamental step towards positioning the two countries, India and Nigeria, at the forefront of confronting and dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks with brazen capabilities of outma­neuvering legitimate drug law enforcement.

“With our understanding of the changing dynamics of the illicit drug problems, locally and globally, every major organisa­tion around the world working assiduously to curb the menace knows that working with part­ners greatly helps in address­ing the trafficking and abuse of narcotic and psychotropic substances. The governments of both countries remain com­mitted to eradicating the prob­lem posed by illicit substances, notably synthetic opioids and Amphetamine Type Stimu­lants (ATS) which pose a potent threat to our citizens.”

While acknowledging the courage exhibited by the two agencies in the course of past meetings that culminated in the MoU, Marwa stressed that the partnership will impact greatly on efforts to prevent “illicit traf­ficking in narcotic drugs, psy­chotropic substances, precursor chemicals, and related matters” between the two countries.