The team was set up after strategic discussions held at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Friday, when the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, led her management team on a courtesy visit to NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd).
This was contained in a statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said Marwa emphasised the inextricable link between drug and human trafficking, noting that victims, often unaware, are exploited as drug mules or subjected to substance abuse to ensure compliance.
“There’s a linkage between human trafficking and drug trafficking and abuse.
“Some trafficked persons are used as mules… They may be drugged to be compliant. This is an area we must tackle jointly by signing a memorandum of understanding that will clearly define our areas of collaboration,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA boss named a three-member liaison team to work closely with NAPTIP in fleshing out and executing agreed areas of cooperation.
On her part, the NAPTIP DG highlighted the increasing convergence of both crimes, noting that shared enablers such as porous borders, corruption, and weak institutions demand a united response.
“Women and children are increasingly used as couriers, while some victims are drugged as a method of control,” Adamu Bello said. “Intelligence has shown operational overlaps in trafficking networks. A coordinated strategy is now imperative.”
She proposed several collaborative initiatives, including joint investigations, intelligence sharing, cross-agency training, public enlightenment, and legal reforms. A liaison team, she noted, will draft a strategic action plan to guide short- and medium-term engagements between the two agencies.
Bello affirmed NAPTIP’s commitment to professionalism, patriotism, and strategic partnerships. “Together, we will not only dismantle these criminal networks but also protect and empower the vulnerable Nigerians they exploit,” she assured.
Punch
