Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have agreed to establish a joint committee to strengthen their operational partnership in the fight against narcotics trafficking and organised crime.
This decision followed a high-level strategic meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), at the Agency’s headquarters in Jahi, Abuja.
The meeting focused on tightening inter-agency coordination, improving post-seizure accountability and ensuring more transparent prosecution and disposal processes for drug-related cases.
Speaking during the engagement, CGC Adeniyi emphasised that Nigeria’s global credibility in counter-narcotics efforts largely depends on the strength of collaboration among domestic security institutions.
“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,” he said.
Adeniyi noted that Customs has continued to make significant seizures, particularly through the Apapa Command, and consistently hands them over to the NDLEA. However, he stressed that arrests and seizures are only the beginning of effective enforcement.
“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, the chain of enforcement is incomplete,” he said.
He proposed a strengthened framework, including:
• Joint destruction of seized drugs where no suspects are arrested,
• Periodic and structured case status reports,
• Coordinated court appearances, and
• Permanent liaison officers 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 Customs boss added.
In his response, NDLEA Chairman Marwa commended the proposals, describing the concerns raised by Customs as both valid and necessary for deeper inter-agency accountability.
“The concerns relating to post-transfer accountability, prosecution outcomes and disposal processes are valid. 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,” he said.
Marwa announced 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 will refine procedures and, where necessary, develop a supplementary agreement for approval by both organisations.
“Today’s meeting is timely. It gives us the opportunity to discuss areas of concern frankly and strengthen our collaboration,” he said.
