UAE Commends NDLEA, Seeks Stronger Anti-Drug Partnership

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged stronger collaboration with Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while commending the agency’s Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), for his exemplary leadership and outstanding achievements in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

This assurance was made when the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Salem Saeed Musabbeh Alshamsi, paid a courtesy visit to Marwa at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

A statement on Wednesday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Ambassador Alshamsi praised the NDLEA’s impressive track record under Marwa’s leadership, noting that the agency’s operational successes have contributed significantly to curbing illicit drug inflow into the UAE.

“We have been following your achievements closely and must commend your great leadership. You are doing an excellent job. We’re particularly proud of your success in blocking drugs from entering the UAE. We’re here to deepen cooperation with the NDLEA in the fight against drug trafficking,” he said.

The envoy further invited Marwa to visit the UAE for discussions with his counterparts and the Dubai Police leadership, expressing his government’s readiness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NDLEA to strengthen collaboration and intelligence sharing.

“We need to exchange information about drug dealers and their activities. The UAE–Nigeria relationship is currently one of the best, and we are ready to support the NDLEA in any way possible. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there’s more we can do to assist,” Alshamsi added.

In response, Marwa thanked the Ambassador for his kind remarks and acknowledged the UAE’s remarkable development and growing economic relations with Nigeria.

“We appreciate the strong diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the UAE, which continue to flourish. The recent growth in non-oil trade between our countries aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at promoting peace, stability, and prosperity,” Marwa said.

He underscored the importance of global cooperation in tackling the universal challenge of drug trafficking and abuse. Marwa also disclosed that in the past four years, the NDLEA had intercepted over 302.2 kilograms of illicit substances destined for the UAE through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and courier companies in Lagos.

“As Africa’s leading anti-narcotics agency, the NDLEA values partnerships with global counterparts. We welcome this collaboration with the UAE and look forward to signing the MoU and deepening our joint efforts,” he affirmed.