The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised serious concerns about the growing link between drug trafficking and terrorism in the West African sub-region. According to the agency, criminal groups including terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers are exchanging drugs for arms in the Sahel region, using barter trade as a means to fuel insecurity across Nigeria and its neighbours.
This alarming revelation was made by the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), during the ongoing Stakeholders Conference on Security in Nigeria, currently taking place in Abuja. The event was organised by the Ministry of Police Affairs in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and the National Central Bureau.
Marwa, who was represented at the event by the NDLEA Director of Intelligence, Kennedy Zirangey, explained that drug traffickers and armed groups have formed a dangerous alliance that threatens the peace and stability of West Africa.
In his presentation, the NDLEA boss described how drug traffickers are exchanging drugs directly for arms with terrorist groups and other criminal elements operating in the Sahel—a vast region stretching across countries like Niger, Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso.
“It is no surprise that the significant movement of small arms and light weapons within the region is often fuelled by those involved in drug trafficking, who frequently exchange these drugs across the Sahel for small arms,” Marwa said. “These arms are then used to destabilise the region.”
The NDLEA noted that this type of exchange—drugs for weapons—is contributing to the rising level of insecurity in Nigeria and other West African countries. Bandits, kidnappers, and insurgents are increasingly armed with illegal weapons, which they acquire through these dangerous transactions.
The agency also pointed out another disturbing trend: many of these criminals, including terrorists, are under the influence of hard drugs when they launch attacks on communities.
“Terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements are often under the influence of drugs and other substances when carrying out attacks,” Marwa stated.
He added that during military raids on terrorist camps or kidnappers’ hideouts, large quantities of hard drugs—especially synthetic opioids like tramadol—are usually recovered, indicating their reliance on such substances to fuel their violent actions.
“These substances are their stimulants and driving force. They rely on them to carry out their activities,” he said.
The NDLEA also warned about the growing problem of synthetic opioids, which are being smuggled into West Africa in large quantities. These dangerous drugs, often more potent than traditional narcotics, are entering through seaports in Ghana, Togo, and Nigeria, with hundreds of containers being brought into the region illegally.
While some of these drugs are consumed locally, many are smuggled across land borders into landlocked countries such as Chad, Niger, and Mali. From there, they often make their way into North Africa, where there is a large black market for these substances.
This growing drug trade is now viewed as a major security threat, as it provides funding for armed groups and facilitates the trafficking of weapons into already unstable regions.
Marwa commended the efforts of the National Security Adviser, who recently set up a multi-agency committee to strengthen port inspections and destroy containers of illegal drugs. This task force has made significant progress, especially in Lagos and Port Harcourt ports.
“Over 200 containers were destroyed between January and April by this multi-agency task force,” Marwa revealed.
He stressed that these actions are part of a broader effort to cut off the financial lifelines of terrorists and criminal groups, who depend on drug trafficking to sustain their operations.
“We know that drug traffickers use proceeds from drugs to fund insurgency and insecurity in the entire sub-region,” he added.
The revelations from the NDLEA confirm what many regional and international security experts have been warning for years: West Africa is becoming a major hub for the drug trade, and this is directly linked to the growing instability in the region.
The Sahel, in particular, has become a breeding ground for criminal networks that combine drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and terrorism. Weak borders, poor law enforcement in some countries, and corruption have made it easier for these groups to operate across national boundaries.
In Nigeria, the impact is already being felt in the form of increased kidnappings, terrorist attacks, and community invasions. These activities are not only costing lives but also affecting the country’s economic growth and scaring away investors.
Security experts are now calling for stronger cooperation among West African nations to deal with this growing threat. They argue that no single country can successfully fight the drug-for-arms trade alone.
There are also demands for greater international support, especially in the areas of intelligence sharing, training, and funding for border control agencies.
The NDLEA, under Marwa’s leadership, has been working closely with regional and global partners to track drug movements and dismantle trafficking networks. However, the agency says more resources and political will are needed to win this battle.
