The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, have set up teams on both sides to strengthen collaboration on the fight against the interconnected menace of human, drug trafficking and substance abuse.

The fresh effort was the highpoint of discussions between the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa and the NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu-Bello when the latter led her management team on a courtesy visit to NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, Marwa congratulated Adamu Bello on her well-deserved appointment to lead a very important agency like NAPTIP and commended her for hitting the ground running.

According to him, there is a linkage between human trafficking and drug trafficking and abuse, as some trafficked persons are used as mules, some may know, some may not know, they may give them drugs, sewn into their bag, and they can be drugged to be compliant, to do what they want.

In his words, so, this is an area that they should collaborate further by signing an MoU that will actually bring about definite and unambiguous areas of collaboration.

He assured her of NDLEA’s preparedness to deepen collaboration with NAPTIP while he named a three-member liaison team that will work with the team from NAPTIP on agreed areas of partnership.

Speaking earlier, the NAPTIP boss emphasised the importance of deepened partnership between the two agencies to the disruption of criminal networks involved in human, drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Adamu-Bello said drug trafficking and human trafficking are increasingly connected, both globally and locally.

In her words, Women and children are used as drug couriers, Victims are also drugged and subjected to substance abuse as a method of control when they are trafficked.

She said both crimes thrive on similar enablers, that is, porous borders, corruption, poverty, weak institutions, and digital space.

According to her, Intelligence reports have shown overlaps in networks operating in both spheres, hence the urgent need for a coordinated response, believing that there is immense potential for deepened collaboration between NAPTIP and NDLEA .

She noted that some actionable areas could include joint investigation and intelligence sharing, capacity building and cross-training, victim-centered approach, technology and data integration, public enlightenment and preventive advocacy, and legal reforms.

Adamu-Bello said this could be achieved, by their proposal of the next steps to be taken, that is, setting up of a liaison team to develop NAPTIP-NDLEA strategic action plan for the short to medium term activities, schedule bilateral meetings to review their operation partnership at least once or twice a year, and explore opportunities for international collaboration, which are all aware that the two agencies are closely partnering with various international organisations.

She affirmed that NAPTIP is fully committed to partnership, professionalism, and patriotic service, believing that together they will not only disrupt criminal networks, but also protect and empower vulnerable Nigerians who are often the ultimate victims of the crimes.

This is according to a statement made available to newsmen by NDLEA Director Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi.