By Muhammadu Sabiu
The government of the United States has unveiled a scheme that will help Nigeria’s fight against illegal drugs.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) capacity for forensic and chemical analysis, intelligence gathering, and prosecution will be strengthened by the support.
The intervention is being coordinated by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.
The announcement was made in a statement released on Monday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media for NDLEA.
The chairman of the anti-drugs agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (ret. ), made the requests after meeting with American representatives in Abuja and Washington, D.C.
The project will be carried out in Nigeria by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The assistance will strengthen NDLEA’s intelligence-driven inquiries using various tools, including legal texts, an e-library for prosecution, and others.
Babafemi stated that by adopting enhanced collection, handling, and custody practices, the agency would be able to prosecute cases with solid evidence.
The initiative “will be a vital step in furthering our shared objective of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria,” the U.S. government stated in its message.
