NDLEA to Chair African Regional Counter-narcotic Meeting

NDLEA Boss to Chair African Regional Counter-narcotic Meeting

Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.)

The Chairman/Chief Executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd.) has chaired the first annual Africa Targeting Working Group meeting of International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC).

The meeting, which holds at the Capital Menlyn Main Hotel in Pretoria, South Africa from January 23 to 24, 2018, elaborated on drug trafficking in the region.

The invitation to chair the event was at the instance of United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA), which is the key facilitator of IDEC.

According to Andre W. Kellum who conveyed the invitation, “We here at DEA are sincerely appreciative of your support and efforts in the battle against drug crimes.”

The purpose of the Africa Targeting Working Group meeting was to discuss the Drug Trafficking Organisations operating throughout Africa with drug trafficking networks cutting across borders. The meeting was also to prepare the African region for the forthcoming IDEC meeting in Rotterdam, Netherlands in April 2018.

Abdallah described the invitation as a product of Nigeria’s leading role in ensuring that the entire Africa region is on the same page in combating the illicit drug trafficking challenge.

The Chairman further said: “This alarming trend in the emergence of new psychoactive substances both synthetic and plant based has further reinforced the need for regional and multi-lateral cooperation against Drug Trafficking Organisations”.
He stressed that the meeting coming up very early in the year was a warning sign to the drug trafficking organisations that this year 2018 would be full of troubles for their organisations and networks”.

The Agency under the leadership of Abdallah has continued to enjoy robust training and logistic support and exchange of intelligence from the international partners.