The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has achieved major breakthroughs in dismantling drug trafficking syndicates that recruit and exploit women for illegal drug operations across Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the NDLEA has remained focused on targeting not only drug couriers and traffickers but also the masterminds behind the criminal networks.
Babafemi explained that the agency’s enforcement strategy extends beyond arresting individuals caught transporting illicit drugs, with investigators working to identify and prosecute those coordinating the operations.
“We don’t just stop at the level of the traffickers or the mules,” he said.
“We follow the chain to the top of the ladder to ensure that the masterminds hiding behind different fronts to recruit women and other vulnerable groups into these activities are brought to justice. We have been very successful in doing that.”
According to him, several investigations involving women used by drug trafficking syndicates have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for organising the networks.
However, Babafemi noted that cultural and religious barriers remain challenges to the agency’s efforts to prevent women from being drawn into drug-related crimes. He said these factors sometimes limit direct engagement with certain groups of women during awareness and sensitisation campaigns.
To address the challenge, the NDLEA has adopted community-based approaches, working closely with local leaders, influencers and other stakeholders to reach women who may not be accessible through conventional advocacy programmes.
“Because the first thing is prevention, there are some parts of the country where you cannot just go directly to address women,” he said.
“We have to work with local people and those already involved in such communities to be able to get through to them because of certain religious and cultural barriers.”
Despite these obstacles, Babafemi said the agency has continued to make progress through strategic partnerships and sustained public awareness initiatives.
He urged women to resist attempts by drug trafficking cartels to lure them into criminal activities, stressing their important role in building and sustaining families, communities and the nation.
“Women are expected to counter such negative influences within their circles and build resilience against temptations that may push them into activities that destroy social values,” he said.
“They should remain builders of families, homes and communities rather than yield to the tricks of drug trafficking syndicates.”
Babafemi reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to strengthening prevention, enforcement and public education efforts aimed at protecting women and other vulnerable groups from exploitation by drug trafficking networks.
(NAN)
