Nigeria Police partner U.S., ONSA on capacity development for EOD-CBRN personnel

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, in conjunction with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the US Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Smuggling, Detection, and Deterrence (NSDD) has approved the continual training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD-CBRN) Command on the operation and maintenance of Mobile Detection System (MDS).

The partnership has led to two weeks capacity building workshop for 30 EOD-CBRN officers, drawn from across the nation, recently in Lagos.

The fully-practical workshop, according to the force acting spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, is part of the IGP’s effort at re-evaluating and re-strategizing performance levels in meeting its core objectives of safeguarding the nation against internal security threats, especially with regards to capacity building of personnel in line with global best practices and standards, aims at providing training and equipping EOD-CBRN personnel in the operation of MDS equipment (vans and handheld devices); enhance the capacity of EOD-CBRN personnel in the detection of illicit trafficking of radioactive materials; enhance the secondary inspection techniques of officers; reposition and build the capacity of the NPF EOD Command, and to expand CBRN’s focus and area of responsibility in line with emerging threats.

The IGP, while confirming the new nomenclature for the EOD Command to read EOD-CBRN in line with the newly approved Force Order 472, equally noted that the EOD CBRN Command has received a total of five Mobile Detection System (MDS) vans, with two spare parts and maintenance kits; three Radio-isotope Identification Devices (RIDs), three PackEye Radiation Detection Backpacks; three Radiation Survey Meters; and 7 Sensor Technology Radiation Pagers. The IGP has likewise ordered that the equipment be strategically deployed to sensitive and critical infrastructures and threatened areas in order to improve the nation’s nuclear security architecture in early detection, analysis and reporting of radioactive materials out of regulatory control.

The police boss, represented by the Commissioner of Police, EOD-CBRN, Zannah Shettima, commended the US NSDD and assured that the skills and knowledge acquired will be put to good use in the collective fight against security threats, acts of terrorism and other criminal activities in the country.