By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have moved to strengthen their partnership against narcotics trafficking and organised crime, following a high-level meeting between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd).
The strategic meeting, held at the NDLEA Headquarters in Jahi, Abuja, focused on tightening existing collaboration, improving accountability on seized narcotics cases and building a more coordinated enforcement structure between both agencies.
Leading members of his management team to the meeting, Adeniyi said the fight against drug trafficking now goes beyond domestic enforcement, warning that Nigeria’s credibility before international partners depends largely on how effectively local institutions work together.
He said, “I came here directly from international engagements in Europe and Asia, and at every table narcotics trafficking remained a major issue. The West African corridor is under serious watch.
“The agreements we sign abroad will only carry value when our operational credibility at home supports them. If intelligence shared with Nigeria is not pursued to interception, prosecution and destruction, our standing is weakened,” CGC Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss disclosed that the Service had continued to make major seizures and handovers to NDLEA, particularly through the Apapa Command and other operational formations.
CGC Adeniyi, however, stressed that interdiction alone was not enough, calling for stronger post-seizure accountability, regular prosecution updates and transparent destruction procedures.
He said: “Interdiction is only the first act of enforcement, not the last. Where narcotics are transferred but not promptly destroyed, where prosecution advances without feedback, and where exhibits are separated from originating officers, then the chain of enforcement is incomplete.”
He proposed a fresh framework between both agencies, including joint destruction of seized drugs where suspects are not arrested, periodic case status reports, coordinated court appearances and standing liaison channels at command level.
“We have not come here to apportion blame. We have come to design the next phase of a partnership that has carried Nigeria this far and must now carry it further,” the CGC declared.
Responding, the NDLEA Chairman described the concerns raised by Customs as legitimate and timely, assuring that the agency remains committed to transparency, accountability and professional cooperation.
He said, “The concerns relating to post-transfer accountability, prosecution outcomes and disposal processes are valid concerns. We must move beyond ceremonial handovers to a structured and mandatory reporting framework under which NDLEA provides formal updates on investigations, prosecutions and final disposal of Customs-originated seizures.”
Marwa proposed the immediate establishment of a joint committee to review grey areas in the existing Memorandum of Understanding signed by both agencies under previous administrations.
According to him, the committee would recommend clearer procedures and, where necessary, draft a supplementary agreement for approval by both leaderships, stating, “Today’s meeting is timely. It gives us the opportunity to discuss areas of concern frankly and strengthen our collaboration.”