NDLEA Cracks Down On Drug Syndicates Exploiting Women For Trafficking Operations.

 

"News PlatformNG" reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major successes in dismantling drug trafficking networks that recruit and exploit women for illicit drug operations across Nigeria.

The agency disclosed that its enforcement strategy focuses not only on arresting drug couriers and traffickers but also on tracking and prosecuting the masterminds behind criminal syndicates that prey on women and other vulnerable groups.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the agency has consistently targeted the individuals coordinating drug trafficking operations from behind the scenes.

“We don’t just stop at the level of the traffickers or the mules. We follow the chain to the top of the ladder to ensure that the big masterminds hiding behind various fronts to recruit women and vulnerable groups into these activities are brought to book. We have been very successful in doing that,” Babafemi said.

According to him, several investigations involving women recruited into drug trafficking activities have led to the arrest and prosecution of key figures operating within the syndicates.

Babafemi, however, acknowledged that cultural and religious barriers remain significant challenges in the agency’s efforts to prevent women from being drawn into drug-related crimes. He explained that such barriers can sometimes restrict 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 stakeholders, community leaders, and influencers to reach women who may otherwise be inaccessible 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. 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,” he explained.

Despite these challenges, Babafemi said the agency has continued to make progress through strategic partnerships and sustained public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing vulnerability to drug trafficking networks.

He also urged women across the country to resist attempts by drug cartels to lure them into criminal activities, describing women as critical pillars of families, communities, and national development.

“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. They should remain builders of families, homes and communities rather than yield to the tricks of drug trafficking syndicates,” he said.

Babafemi reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to strengthening prevention, enforcement, and public enlightenment efforts to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation and combat the growing threat of drug trafficking across the country.