The United Kingdom’s Home Office International Operations, HOIO, has taught the officers of the Marine Command and Seaports Operations of Nigeria’s Anti-Drug Agency, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Five of the 35 officers who received training are presently enrolled in a two-week course in maritime patrol and tactical coxswainship offered by Southampton, United Kingdom’s Central Maritime Training Unit.
In a news release, NDLEA spokesperson Femi BabaFemi stated that the training would improve the officers’ abilities to monitor borders using mentoring and cutting-edge drug detection technology.
He listed the important topics that have been covered thus far, among them managing boats, handling weapons, riverine operations, boarding, and searching vessels.
According to BabaFemi, the British Military, Nigerian Navy, and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have all helped organise training as part of the Global Maritime Crime Programme. (GMCP).
Five NDLEA marine officers, including their first female coxswain, are currently undergoing a two-week training programme. He explained that this will prepare them to plan maritime deployments and pursue, halt, and board ships on the high seas.
The Chief Executive of the Agency, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, thanked the UK government for its ongoing support and commitment to aiding the NDLEA in enhancing its capacity and capabilities to combat drug trafficking. He also urged the officers to remain steadfast in their professional calling and make sure they apply the training’s core principles to their formations and coworkers.
He gave them the reassurance that he would continue to give all agency officers’ capacity development top priority.
The Regional Manager for West Africa for the Home Office International Operations (HOIO) was cited by BabaFemi as saying that HOIO was extremely pleased and honoured to collaborate with and support the work of NDLEA.