The Gambia’s Drug Law Enforcement Agency is partnering with its Nigerian counterpart in fighting the illicit drug trade in the West Africa sub-region.

A delegation of the drug enforcement agency is in Abuja for talks on collaboration between the two partner agencies.  

The head of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Col. Muhammed Mustapha Abdallah (rtd.), welcomed the Gambia’s delegation and called for greater collaboration between the two agencies  in eradicating drug abuse and the illicit drug trade in the sub-region.

Col. Abdallah said Nigeria and Gambia have come a long way with such commonalities as colonial experience, military diplomacy and in the area of the criminal justice system.

“No country can tackle terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, money-laundering and arms struggling alone,” he said.

On his part, the Director General, DLEAG, Mr. Bakary Gassama said the Gambia has found Nigeria as a strategic partner owing to the huge experience at the disposal of NDLEA in its fight against the illicit drug trade.