Drug war: NDLEA operatives undergo diving training

• Capability will discourage large cocaine shipments, Marwa says

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have undergone basic diving training to complement the war against drug trafficking and shipment into Nigeria.

The Guardian learnt that eight officers were selected from four countries. They included two personnel from the Marine Command of NDLEA picked by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to undergo training in Bombinhas, Brazil.

The training came in two phases: first in November 2023 and then in July 2024. According to the UNODC, the diving course was initiated to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and transnational crime activities in four countries: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, and Senegal.

The second phase was to qualify professionals certified in basic and advanced diving in public safety diving to conduct ship hull searches, enforce the law, and ensure public safety in combating transnational drug trafficking.

Reacting, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) said the initiative will discourage large shipments of cocaine to Nigeria.

Marwa, who stated this while receiving a report of the training from the agency’s Director of Seaports Operations, Omolade Faboyede, said the new capability will send a strong message to international drug cartels that they have no place to hide their illicit consignments on any ship or vessel coming to Nigeria. He commended the two officers who participated in the training and certification programme for exemplary performance.

According to him, the Agency will continue to be steps ahead of drug cartels in skills and capability with a view to ensuring that they have no means to smuggle illicit drugs into Nigeria.

“We will also continue to expose our officers, men and women to training and the use of modern technological tools in our determined bid to keep our country safe by curbing the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking,” the NDLEA boss added.