The collaboration between the United Kingdom Government, through its Home Office International Operations (HOIO), and Nigeria in combating substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking has been yielding positive results, according to UK officials.
During a visit to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) headquarters in Abuja, Victoria Pullen, Head of the UK Home Office International Operations, acknowledged the achievements of the NDLEA in its ongoing fight against drug-related crimes.
Pullen was accompanied by her colleague Kristoffer Hawksfield as they signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the HOIO and NDLEA.
Speaking at the event, Pullen noted that recent NDLEA operations reflect the effectiveness of the cooperation.
“The results are as evident by the streak of successes being recorded by the NDLEA, in recent times,” she said, thanking NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, for his “excellent cooperation.”
She emphasised the global nature of the drug trafficking challenge, stating, “The issue of drug trafficking is a huge global issue, and like many big challenges such as drug trafficking, it takes a huge global effort to try and counter that.”
She added, “I think it’s evident by some of the recent successes and the volume of some of the illicit commodities that your teams are finding that. That cooperation is working exceptionally well currently, and we are currently really enjoying working with your team on those successes.”
Highlighting the UK’s support, Pullen mentioned the recent commissioning of the NDLEA Marine Command Headquarters, a facility built and donated by the UK government in Lagos.
“We look forward to seeing the results of that level of investment that will bring significant benefits to you in Nigeria by being able to stop those drugs from permeating your own society,” she said, adding that the impact would also be felt globally.
“The more that we help you to interdict and take [drugs] out of the system here, the less that’s going into countries around the world and into society.”
She praised the positive relationship between the UK and NDLEA, saying, “Our team has got nothing but very positive things to say about the relationship that we have with you and your teams. We look forward to the future and building on those and making them a lot better.”
In response, NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), expressed his gratitude for the support Nigeria has received from the UK government.
He highlighted key contributions, including the construction of the Marine Headquarters and a similar facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Marwa stated, “I am most delighted to meet Ms. Victoria Pullen in person, as it gives me the opportunity to express profound gratitude on behalf of myself, the agency, and the country for the tremendous assistance.
This includes both tangible and intangible support that we have received from the Home Office International Operations (HOIO), in particular, and the British Government in general.”
He further appreciated the UK’s contributions, citing the NDLEA’s significant achievements since its reforms began.
“Just last week, we commissioned the Marine Command Headquarters of NDLEA, built from scratch and donated by the Home Office International Operations.
“We have also received in the past a new CITF facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, also from the Home Office International Operations. These are in addition to others like training and intelligence that are vital to our counter-narcotics operations.”
Marwa also acknowledged the impact of the ongoing partnership: “Since we kicked off the reform of NDLEA three years ago, we have enjoyed an increasing partnership with the Home Office International Operations.
“Among our international partners, the Home Office International Operations is one of our major partners whose contributions immeasurably enhance the capacity of NDLEA and invariably impact our performance positively.”
While expressing his hope for continued collaboration, Marwa stated, “We continue to seek more of your assistance in our quest to combat illicit drug trafficking on our shores. We’ll also contribute to our common goal in fighting the activities of transnational criminal organisations.”
He noted that the new MoU being signed was a testament to the strong partnership between both nations. “The new refreshed MoU, which we are about to sign after the remarks, is a testament to our strong partnership, and we are looking forward to boosting our existing relationship to help us achieve our common and shared responsibility of tackling the drug problem.”
Reflecting on the agency’s progress, Marwa said, “Now, the NDLEA in the last three years or so has made tremendous impacts, and I must say that instrumental to that is the support from the UK. We have made, in three years, over 52,000 arrests. We have made seizures of over 8,000 tons of illicit substances and convictions in excess of 9,000. That’s a very significant success in court.”
Marwa stressed the need for further intelligence sharing given the high volume of travel between the UK and Nigeria: “Given the volume of traffic of travellers between the UK and Nigeria, there is a need for sharing of intelligence and actionable data. Further collaboration in that respect will further strengthen our relationship. So, I’m excited that we’re signing a new MoU here today.”
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