The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has assured the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of continued support and stronger partnership in combating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
The UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Salem Saeed Musabbeh Alshamsi, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, 11th November 2025.
Ambassador Alshamsi commended Marwa for his outstanding leadership and the NDLEA’s consistent successes in the fight against drug trafficking, noting that the UAE closely follows the agency’s achievements.
“I’m here to appreciate your hard work and the great leadership you have provided the NDLEA. We are very proud of your achievements, especially in seizing and blocking drugs destined for the UAE. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with your agency in tackling drug trafficking,” the envoy stated.
He further extended an invitation to Marwa to visit his counterparts in the UAE and the Dubai Police for further engagements and expressed his government’s readiness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NDLEA to strengthen collaboration.
“We need to exchange information about drug dealers and their activities. The UAE is ready to assist and support Nigeria, especially now that relations between our two countries are at one of their best levels,” the Ambassador added.
In his response, Marwa thanked the envoy for his commendation and pledged NDLEA’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the UAE. He also praised the UAE’s developmental strides and growing bilateral trade with Nigeria, describing it as consistent with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“I’d like to acknowledge the strong diplomatic relations between our two countries, which continue to grow stronger every year. The drug scourge is a universal challenge that requires collaboration between nations. In Nigeria, the NDLEA is fully committed to the control of illicit drugs,” Marwa stated.
He disclosed that the agency had intercepted a total of 302.202 kilograms of assorted illicit substances destined for the UAE over the past four years through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and various courier companies.
Marwa reaffirmed NDLEA’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with the UAE, noting that as Africa’s largest anti-narcotics agency, it already works with leading drug law enforcement bodies worldwide.
“We welcome the collaboration between NDLEA and our counterparts in the UAE and are willing to honour the invitation to visit for discussions and to sign the MoU,” he assured.
