The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance mutual cooperation in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
The Chairman of the NDLEA, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa described the Customs as a strategic partner in the realization of its mandate of sanitizing the country of drug trade.
He said the MOU was in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration where the Nigeria Customs Service would assist in confiscating illicit drugs at the nation’s borders through improved surveillance.
General Marwa said the NDLEA would continue to seek partnership with other related agencies with a view to ridding the country of harmful drugs and its negative impact on the society.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Colonel Hameed Ali described the collaboration with the NDLEA as the way to go as it would boost information sharing among both agencies and remove any form of inter-agency rivalry.
He promised the Customs Service collaboration through arrests and seizure of illicit drugs and handing same to the NDLEA.
Colonel Ali however urged the NDLEA to establish a robust database of such arrests and seizures made by his men and to track the progress of each case in terms of prosecution, as a way to boost the morale of the Customs officers.
Reporting by Biodun Dare, editing by Daniel Adejo