Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have formalised their existing cooperation into a structured strategic alliance to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria–Australia corridor.
The agreement was sealed on Monday in Abuja through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the NDLEA national headquarters.
In a statement from the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), described the pact as a decisive “declaration of war against transnational drug cartels that think they can hide between continents.”
Marwa expressed strong confidence that combining the AFP’s global reach with the operational doggedness of the NDLEA would make the Australia–Nigeria drug route “extremely hostile and unprofitable for traffickers.”
“Nigeria is being exploited as a transit and sourcing hub, but no single country can fight this alone,” Marwa stated, noting that drug trafficking has evolved into a highly sophisticated, organised enterprise.
He pointed to Nigerian organised crime groups increasingly linked to the Australia–Pacific drug route, particularly regarding methamphetamine and cocaine trade.
Under the newly signed agreement, both agencies will collaborate across four critical pillars; the exchange of information and intelligence, joint and coordinated operations, professional capacity building, and controlled delivery mechanisms.
Marwa highlighted recent operational successes that necessitated the expanded partnership, including the interception of 184.5 kilograms of cocaine meant for export and the dismantling of four methamphetamine laboratories involving Mexican nationals.
One of the lab busts yielded seizures valued at over 360 million US dollars.
He also referenced the destruction of a Switzerland-based cartel operated by a Nigerian, Simon Amadi, following a year of joint operations involving the US DEA alongside French, Greek, and Swiss authorities.
Echoing these sentiments, the head of the AFP delegation, Ms Sandra Booth, stressed that combating illicit drugs demands an international, collaborative approach.
She commended the NDLEA for tackling the drug menace comprehensively, spanning both prevention and enforcement.
Booth described the partnership as a vital “force multiplier against an abhorrent trade” that fuels violence, gangland wars, and fatalities in Australia.
She noted that organised crime syndicates increasingly rely on a “crime as a service” model, exploiting vulnerable youth for transit logistics and violent turf wars.
“Whilst Nigeria is a transit country, we are a destination country and unfortunately for us, people will pay a lot of money for the commodity.
“It is so absolutely necessary that we work together as a team, that we are forceful, that we are committed, that we show integrity, and we hunt as a pack. And I am very proud that we can now be part of your pack,” Booth said.
The agreement takes effect immediately, with both agencies anticipating swift joint operations, high-value arrests, and major asset seizures.
