The United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) has pledged to strengthen collaboration and support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nigeria’s fight against illicit drug trafficking.
This assurance was given on Tuesday during a meeting between a senior US AFRICOM delegation and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting was confirmed in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the US delegation commended the existing partnership between NDLEA and AFRICOM and promised further assistance, particularly in capacity building and international cooperation.
Leading the delegation, Mr Philip Esch, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Liaison to AFRICOM, described the relationship between NDLEA and the US-DEA as highly important to the US government.
Esch praised Marwa’s leadership and his commitment to working with international partners to tackle drug-related crimes.
He reaffirmed the willingness of the US government to sustain and deepen engagement with NDLEA in areas of intelligence sharing, training and operational support.
“We appreciate all the support and the leadership you provide. The relationship between NDLEA and DEA is of utmost importance, and we value the excellent cooperation across US law enforcement agencies with NDLEA,” Esch said.
He also congratulated Marwa on the renewal of his tenure, expressing optimism for continued collaboration.
In his response, Marwa expressed appreciation to US AFRICOM and the NDLEA for their consistent support, noting that international partnerships remain critical to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks.
He assured the delegation of NDLEA’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the United States in order to curb illicit drug activities and related crimes.