US-INL Commends NDLEA’s Operational Successes, Pledges More Support
Oru Leonard
The United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau (INL) has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its recent operational successes, assuring the agency of continued support to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against illicit drugs.
Country Director of INL Nigeria, Mr. Derek Tolliver, gave the commendation on Thursday, August 20, 2026, when he led a delegation from the United States Government Accountability Office on a visit to the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Tolliver said the visit was aimed at strengthening existing collaboration between the United States and the NDLEA and advancing the objectives of INL programmes in Nigeria.
He congratulated Marwa and the NDLEA on the agency’s achievements in recent months, noting the growing recognition of its work.
“I want to say big congratulations on all the successes over the past months with your leadership and under your leadership. It is phenomenal how much this organisation has grown, the accolades that are now shown in the media,” Tolliver said.
He assured the NDLEA of INL’s commitment to building on the successes recorded under previous programmes and maintaining close engagement with the agency.
Responding, Marwa congratulated Tolliver on his appointment as Country Director of INL Nigeria and expressed appreciation for the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
He specifically acknowledged the contributions of INL and other US agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to the NDLEA’s operations.
Marwa said the agency’s successes could not be separated from the support it had received from its American partners.
“I would like to state very clearly that whatever successes that we have had in this Agency, the INL is part of it. No question about it,” he said.
According to him, INL-supported operational vehicles distributed to NDLEA commands had significantly improved the agency’s mobility and field operations.
He also highlighted the importance of US support for the development and modernisation of NDLEA forensic laboratories across the country.
Marwa recalled that when he assumed office as NDLEA chairman in 2021, the agency had only one forensic laboratory in Lagos serving the entire country. He said INL subsequently supported the modernisation of the Lagos facility and the establishment of additional laboratories in Abuja and Enugu to improve forensic capacity across the country.
The NDLEA chairman disclosed that the forensic facilities and equipment played a crucial role in the agency’s recent discovery of a precursor chemical linked to fentanyl production during the dismantling of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a deep forest in Ogun State.
“Without these modern tools, that would have gone unnoticed because it was just a small part of the precursor chemicals. That was really very important,” Marwa said.
He explained that forensic analysis of chemicals recovered from the laboratory helped investigators identify one of the substances as a precursor for fentanyl production.
The discovery, he said, was particularly concerning given the severe public health and security implications associated with fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids.
Marwa expressed appreciation to the US government for its continued assistance and appealed for additional support, particularly in logistics, training and other areas that would enhance the operational capacity of the NDLEA.
The meeting underscored the growing Nigeria-US partnership in combating drug trafficking, illicit drug production and other forms of transnational organised crime.
