France Pledges Stronger Collaboration with NDLEA to Combat Drug Trafficking
By Matthew Eloyi
The French government has assured the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of its continued collaboration and support in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
This assurance was given by the French Police Attaché in Nigeria, Mr. Phillipe Crespo, during a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Saturday. He was accompanied by Messrs. Phillipe Barrau, Tony Albaladejo, and Cedric Hocquette.
The visit followed the conclusion of a series of special operations training for officers of the NDLEA Strike Force Unit at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, the third of such exercises within the last two years.
Mr. Crespo commended NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), for his warm reception of the French team and his dedication to fostering local and international partnerships to address drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
“The success of NDLEA’s operations is not only helping to protect Nigerians and Nigerian cities but equally communities in foreign lands through the agency’s interdiction efforts, which have led to huge seizures of assorted illicit drug consignments heading to Europe and other parts of the world,” Crespo said.
He assured that the French government, through the French National Police, would sustain its support and collaboration with the NDLEA. Crespo further proposed formalizing the partnership with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the new year.
French technical expert Phillipe Barrau praised the professionalism of NDLEA officers who participated in the three-week training and noted the mutual benefits of the partnership. “Both sides have a lot to learn from each other,” he said, commending the NDLEA Academy’s capacity to make the program seamless and successful.
In response, Marwa expressed gratitude to the French government, highlighting the significance of their partnership.
“I remember in 2022 when I visited the headquarters of RAID in France on invitation and I made a request for this type of training. I never knew it’s something that will come so fast and this consistent. Soon after that visit, a team of experts was sent to train our personnel, and I am glad this is the third of such exercises,” Marwa said.
He emphasised the need for global collaboration in tackling the worldwide drug problem, which poses threats to public health and security, and welcomed the proposed MoU to further strengthen the relationship between the two organisations.