The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at preventing the use of trucks and passenger vehicles in the transportation of illicit drugs across the country.
The agreement was reached on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the NARTO leadership to the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, NARTO National President, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, expressed the association’s commitment to aligning with the agency’s mission to eradicate drug trafficking and abuse, noting that road transport operators have a critical role to play in safeguarding Nigeria’s highways.
“Our trucks and passenger vehicles connect every region of this country. But we are also aware that these same channels are sometimes exploited by criminal networks to move illicit substances. This narrative must change, and NARTO is ready to play its part,” Othman declared.
As part of the action plan for the collaboration, Othman proposed the deployment of NDLEA liaison officers to NARTO’s major parks and depots nationwide, alongside joint intelligence-sharing mechanisms, awareness campaigns, and the training of drivers and transport operators on how to detect and report suspicious activities or cargo.
Highlighting the urgent need for proactive engagement, Othman also emphasized the importance of conducting drug tests on commercial drivers and ensuring that members of the association are not unwittingly aiding drug traffickers.
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“Our highways must not become corridors of destruction. We envision a transport industry that promotes national safety, public health, and security,” he added.
In response, NDLEA Chairman Marwa welcomed the initiative, reaffirming the agency’s willingness to partner with NARTO in the nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking.
“I have had a longstanding relationship with NARTO since my days in Lagos. I am pleased that you are concerned about the drug problem in Nigeria. We are more than ready to collaborate and ensure NDLEA’s presence at your parks and depots,” Marwa said.
He further advised transport owners to conduct thorough background checks on drivers before assigning them vehicles to prevent inadvertent involvement in drug-related crimes, which could result in vehicle seizures or fatal road accidents caused by drug-impaired drivers.