NDLEA’s Underwater Capability Will Stem Large Cocaine Shipments to Nigeria, Says Marwa

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has said that the recent training and certification of officers of the Marine Command of NDLEA in basic diving, advanced open water diving and full-face mask diving 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, DCGN 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.

According to a press statement by the spokesman of NDLEA Femi Babafemi on Tuesday, eight officers were selected from four countries including two from Nigeria by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to undergo the certification training in Bombinhas City, Brazil in two phases; first in November 2023 and then July 2024.

The UNODC disclosed that the diving training was initiated to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and transnational crime activities for the four countries: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria and Senegal.

The second phase of the training 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.

While commending the two NDLEA officers who participated in the training and certification programme for their exemplary performance, Marwa said their “new ability to dive into the sea to search ship hulls will no doubt discourage global drug networks from attempting to send any large consignment to Nigeria knowing fully well that our men now have the capacity to search every nook and cranny of ships and vessels coming to Nigeria.”

He said 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.

Marwa said: “We will also continue to expose our officers, men and women to trainings 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.”