Nigeria, UAE Sign Pact to Crush Drug Trafficking Networks

…354.7kg illicit drugs seized on UAE-bound consignments, 47 suspects prosecuted — Marwa
…91,000 arrested, 16,469 convicted in NDLEA’s five-year war against narcotics

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Arab Emirates’ National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) have moved to tighten the noose around international drug trafficking networks operating between Nigeria and the UAE, with both countries signing a new agreement to deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement operations.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on Saturday in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, is expected to strengthen coordinated action against traffickers exploiting the extensive travel, trade and commercial links between the two countries.

The pact comes as NDLEA revealed that its operatives had intercepted 354.7 kilogrammes of illicit drugs concealed in consignments destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026, leading to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects.

The substances seized included cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, Rohypnol, ecstasy and khat.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), who signed the agreement on behalf of Nigeria, said the development marked a new phase in the collaboration between the two anti-narcotics agencies.

Marwa said the agreement was the culmination of years of engagement between NDLEA and NDEA and would provide a stronger platform for the exchange of intelligence, operational information and technical expertise.

According to him, the volume of illicit drugs intercepted on the UAE route underscores the urgency of closer cooperation between the two countries.

He said the new framework would build on existing arrangements, including the exchange of liaison personnel, while paving the way for stronger coordination of enforcement operations.

A particularly significant component of the agreement, Marwa disclosed, is the planned provision of a comprehensive list of prohibited items by the UAE authorities to Nigerian travellers.

The measure, he said, would help Nigerians travelling to the UAE avoid inadvertently carrying substances or items prohibited under UAE laws.

The NDLEA boss also used the occasion to unveil the scale of the agency’s wider offensive against illicit drugs across Nigeria.

He said that between January 2021 and July 2026, the agency arrested more than 91,000 suspects, including 243 alleged drug barons, and seized over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals.

Within the same period, he said, 16,469 convictions were secured, while more than 53,000 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.

Beyond enforcement, Marwa said the agency’s preventive campaign, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through engagements in communities and schools.

He said the combination of enforcement, intelligence and prevention remained central to the agency’s efforts to reduce the supply and demand for illicit drugs.

On the UAE side, Chairman of the NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed his agency’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong economic and human connections between the two countries.

Al Nahyan described the MoU as a natural progression of the productive relationship already established between the two agencies.

The agreement is expected to facilitate faster intelligence exchanges, improve operational coordination and strengthen efforts to identify and dismantle trafficking networks moving narcotics through the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

The development is particularly significant given the role of Nigeria and the UAE as major points in international travel and commercial networks, making cooperation between their drug enforcement authorities critical to tracing consignments and the networks responsible for them.

Both agencies expressed confidence that the new partnership would produce more effective joint operations and strengthen the disruption of transnational drug trafficking organisations.

The collaboration also aligns with the wider international framework against organised crime and illicit drug trafficking championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), under whose auspices the Abu Dhabi congress is taking place.

Nigeria, UAE Sign Pact to Crush Drug Trafficking Networks

Cholera outbreak kills two at Kano custodial centre

…NCoS contains outbreak, deploys medical team as Kano facility placed under intensified surveillance

By: Michael Mike

A cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State has claimed two lives, forcing the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to intensify medical surveillance and emergency health measures at the facility.

The Service, in a statement on Saturday, said the outbreak was confirmed through laboratory investigation on September 23, 2026, following the detection of suspected cases among inmates.

One of the victims died at the custodial centre, while the second died at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital, according to the press statement by the spokesperson of NCoS, Jane Osuji.

The outbreak was first detected on September 17 when an inmate developed vomiting and diarrhoea, symptoms commonly associated with cholera. The inmate was immediately admitted and treated at the centre’s medical facility.

Osuji noted that by the following morning, the NCoS medical team had activated emergency response protocols, stepped up treatment and intensified monitoring of inmates and personnel.

She added that the coordinated intervention has brought the outbreak under control, with no further deaths recorded since the diagnosis.

The development, however, has prompted the Service to sustain enhanced disease surveillance and preventive measures in collaboration with the Kano State Government and public health authorities.

According to her, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, who was immediately briefed on the outbreak, directed that all necessary measures be maintained to protect inmates and correctional personnel.

Nwakuche also expressed condolences over the deaths, while directing senior medical personnel from the Service’s National Headquarters to proceed to the facility for continued monitoring.

The deployment is expected to strengthen surveillance, ensure prompt identification of any new cases and support the medical team already operating at the centre.

The NCoS said it had also initiated additional preventive measures with the Kano State Government to reduce the risk of further transmission and prevent a recurrence.

The outbreak raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of custodial facilities to infectious diseases, particularly where large numbers of people live within confined environments.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. Without rapid treatment, severe cases can result in life-threatening dehydration and death.

The NCoS, however, said healthcare services remained available across custodial facilities through qualified medical personnel, adding that disease surveillance, early detection and rapid medical response were being strengthened in partnership with relevant public-health authorities.

The Service further reaffirmed its obligation to safeguard the health, dignity and welfare of persons in custody in accordance with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, and established correctional standards.

It urged members of the public to rely on verified information from official channels as monitoring of the Kurmawa facility continues.

Cholera outbreak kills two at Kano custodial centre

District head rescued from mob attack in Jos East

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, have rescued the District Head of Fursum in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau State, Alhaji Musa Usman, from a mob attack by youths of Ninseng community.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2026, when troops responded to a report of a mob attack at the district head’s residence.

The youths reportedly attacked Usman, accusing him of allegedly supporting Fulani residents in the community.

The attack followed a reported incident in which a local was attacked and killed at an illegal mining site in Nabar Dutse community.

Troops intervened and rescued the district head, who sustained injuries during the attack.

He was subsequently evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for medical attention.

During the incident, the district head’s vehicle was also set ablaze by the attackers.

The troops brought the situation under control and dominated the general area to prevent further escalation and possible retaliatory attacks.

Security forces are maintaining a presence in the area while efforts continue to prevent further breakdown of law and order.

District head rescued from mob attack in Jos East