The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) chairman Buba Marwa says recent training of the agency’s marine command officers in diving would discourage large shipments of cocaine to Nigeria.
Mr Marwa stated this while receiving a training report from the agency’s director of seaport operations and deputy commander general of narcotics, Omolade Faboyede.
This was disclosed in a statement by NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday.
He said the new capability would 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.
The officers have gone through basic, advanced open-water, and full-face mask diving.
Eight officers were selected from four countries, including two from Nigeria by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). They have undergone certification training in Bombinhas City, Brazil, in two phases: in November 2023 and July 2024.
According to the UNODC, diving training 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 of the training was to qualify professionals certified in basic and advanced public safety diving to conduct ship hull searches, enforce the law, and ensure public safety in combating transnational drug trafficking.
Mr Marwa commended the two NDLEA officers who participated in the training and certification programme for their exemplary performance.
He 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.
“This is so, knowing full well that our men now have the capacity to search every nook and cranny of ships and vessels coming to Nigeria.”
