By Esther Yakubu
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a refresher training for its Canine Unit personnel to strengthen their capacity to detect and intercept concealed narcotics.
The training, held at the NDLEA Canine Unit Facility in Lagos, was organised in collaboration with Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and facilitated by German technical dog-handling experts, Andreas Roscher and Jacqueline Shüler.
Eleven personnel from the Canine Unit, including the Unit Commander, two veterinary doctors and eight dog handlers, participated in the exercise alongside their service dogs. Five other officers from commands within Lagos also attended, having expressed interest in joining the Canine Unit.
The course focused on advanced obedience and control, narcotics detection techniques, scent imprinting, search patterns, handler safety and tactics for deploying canine assets in high-risk environments.
Participants also took part in practical simulation exercises at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) baggage hall, APM Terminals Apapa and the MMIA NAHCO export shed.
Speaking on the exercise, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the training demonstrated the agency’s commitment to developing a highly skilled and professional workforce capable of confronting increasingly sophisticated drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the agency’s canine teams remained critical to its drug detection and interdiction operations, particularly at airports, seaports and border points.
He said, “Our canine teams remain one of the most potent assets in our detection and interdiction efforts, and this is why we will continue to invest in their retraining and welfare.”
According to him, the agency’s successes in intercepting concealed narcotics were partly attributable to the dedication of its handlers and the enhanced capabilities of its service dogs.
He added that the partnership with the German authorities would further strengthen the NDLEA’s operational capacity while bringing its canine operations in line with global best practices.
Marwa disclosed that the agency had identified manpower and logistics gaps within the Canine Unit, including the need for additional service dogs, personnel and boarding facilities to effectively cover the country’s seaports, international airports and land borders.
He said plans were underway to address the identified gaps, adding that the agency would sustain the refresher training as an annual exercise.
