The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says no fewer than 35 officers of its Marine Command and Seaports Operations have undergone diverse training sessions organised by the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, HOIO.
The NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Saturday, said the training was held “in recent weeks”.
Of the number, currently, five are said to be in a two-week Maritime Patrol and Tactical Coxswain training by the UK’s Central Maritime Training Unit based in Southampton.
READ MORE: NDLEA Commends Reps For Rejecting Bill To Legalise Marijuana Bill
“The trainings, according to the HOIO, are to enhance the border control capabilities of the NDLEA by providing specialised training, mentoring and advanced drug detection equipment,” Babafemi said.
“Key areas covered so far include: boat handling, weapons handling, riverine operations, boarding and vessel search, among many others.”
According to the agency, some of the training sessions have been facilitated by the British Military, Nigerian Navy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP).
“The ongoing two-week training of five NDLEA marine officers including their first female coxswain will enable them to plan maritime deployments, pursue, stop and board vessels on the high seas,” he said.
