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NDLEA Trains 6 Other West African countries on Techniques for Dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories

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NDLEA Trains 6 Other West African countries on Techniques for Dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories

By: James Bwala

In order to combat the threat of drug trafficking and abuse in West Africa, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted training for six countries in the sub-region on how to dismantle clandestine laboratories.

According to a statement on Thursday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the training took place in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire, from March 27 to 29, with six West African countries of Republic of Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire plus those from Nigeria participating, in the project which was organised by ECOWAS.

The project known as “Organised Crime: West African Response to Trafficking” (OCWART), co-funded by the European Union (EU) and German Federal Foreign Office and executed primarily by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC.

Babafemi said as the lead agency at the workshop, NDLEA drew from its experiential knowledge acquired from the dismantling of 21 clandestine laboratories found in Nigeria since 2011 to teach other West African countries the practical know-how of handling illicit laboratories.

He disclosed that a total of eight topical lectures, practicals and Q&A sessions were delivered in two days by a team of NDLEA facilitators that include Joseph Sunday (Director, Prosecutions and Legal Services); Margaret Ogundipe (Director, Forensic and Chemical Monitoring); Adebowale Rahman (Digital Intelligence specialist); Anebi Ajilima (Forensic and crime lab expert) and Felix Tagbo (Operation specialist).

He said the first two days of the workshop dwelt on various perspectives on the subject matter, including the anatomy of a clandestine laboratory, basic clandestine lab investigation techniques, intelligence gathering, operations safety and guidelines for dismantling clandestine laboratories, clean-up and decontamination of illicit labs and sites, basics of controlled delivery and prosecuting cases of clandestine laboratories.

He further revealed that the workshop was wrapped up on the third day with a practical exercise on the dismantling of a mock clandestine laboratory at the Abidjan Police Academy, which the Nigerian contingent set up and the participants, divided into teams, took turns to dismantle and decontaminate.

He said the workshop’s seven participating countries sent in representatives from relevant organisations, including Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission; Sierra Leone’ Serious Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Coordination Directorate; Drug Law Enforcement Agency of the Gambia (DLEAG); Transnational Crime Unit of Liberia and the INTERPOL.

The Republic of Benin was represented by the Organised Crime Fighting Unit (CELCO), Customs and Narcotics Office (OCERTID), while the host, Côte D’Ivoire, had representatives from Narcotics Squad from Judicial Police (DPSD), Customs, National Gendarmerie, Transnational Crime Unit (TCU), Forensic Police Laboratory and Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF).

Babafemi said at the opening ceremony, UNODC Country Representative and its Senior Adviser, Law Enforcement, West and East Africa, Ishaqu Toure, described the latitude of the workshop thus: “It is both enforcement and judicial capacity building. The project offers technical and equipment support, as well as facilitates discussion of joint operations among member countries.”

Toure, was quoted to have said: “We need regional cooperation to disrupt the transnational criminal organisations’ network,” noting that the South-South cooperation that exists among ECOWAS member states since 2014 has helped to disrupt transnational criminal activities over the years.

Secretary General of the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Fight against Drugs, who represented the Minister of Interior and Security for Côte d’Ivoire (General Vagondo Diomande), Mr Kouma Yao Ronsard, said: “This workshop will ensure that law enforcement agencies across the region are equipped with the modern knowledge and equipment to fight transnational organised crime.”

He also underscored the need for cooperation among law enforcement agencies in West Africa. noting that: “We need cooperation, especially bilateral cooperation. The new law in Cote D’Ivoire gave it the power to cooperate with states in the fight against drug and human trafficking. We need cooperation to break this chain.

“Cote D’Ivoire has cooperation with Nigeria. No one country can say, “there is no drug in my country,” the reality is, we haven’t seen them and or don’t know yet of the techniques of the criminals.”

UNODC Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, Dr. Amado de Andrés,, in his speech before presenting certificates to the participants, said: “All countries in the West Africa region need to cooperate. And we need Nigeria more in the participation of conventions against organised crime.”

He said the purpose of bringing all the countries together is to break the language barrier.

He told the participants that: “In the next five years, we will have to work together, so that your combined expertise can be used to train other regions of the world. We are trying to foster South-South cooperation in a way to make it effective as to strengthen security and entrench stability in the region.”

NDLEA Trains 6 Other West African countries on Techniques for Dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories

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JAMB Registrar, ASE VC task students to make good use of time

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JAMB Registrar, ASE VC task students to make good use of time
..As ASE matriculates pioneer set

By: Michael Mike

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Emeritus Is-haq Oloyede, has encouraged students to make a good use of their time, noting that the most important things in life are often limited in supply.

Oloyede gave this advice while making his remarks at the maiden matriculation of the African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence) in Abuja.

The JAMB Registrar noted that regardless of the students’ courses and departments, one important lesson that being students of the university should remind them of is the need to put value on what is limited because economics is about maximizing the utilisation of the limited and everyone must locate themselves within that philosophy.

Oloyede, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, further encouraged the students to make a judicious use of the opportunities available to them saying that the size of the university would allow them to be able to benefit maximally as the extremely large classes could not be applicable to them. He wished the university all the best and expressed hope that the students would justify the investments made in them.

In his Lecture, “Education: The Pathway to Success in Life”, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, African School of Economics, Prof. Michael Maduagwu, emphasized the importance of education and underscored the significance of reading widely. He noted that the advent of Information and Communication Technology has made reading and learning much accessible with unlimited learning resources available to the students.

He also charged them on ethics and character noting that stories bordering on examination malpractice, bribery, cultism and sexual harassment have often been told in some Nigerian universities but they should not apply to ASE. He advised the students and the staff to set the highest standard for the university and appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for his charismatic leadership.

Earlier in his address, “Three Principles, Six Stories”, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, introduced the university as one with a difference, saying that the institution was conceived to address the critical challenges Africa. He said the university leverages partnership, technology and personnel to achieve functional education that transforms individuals and societies based on the core values of the university, which he identified as IDEAS meaning Integrity, Discipline, Excellence, Accountability and Service.

Adedimeji encouraged the students to embrace curiosity, cultivate resilience and maintain focus as three principles that would guarantee their success. He also spoke on the need for them to embrace faith, have trust, keep hope, demonstrate confidence, show love and maintain positive attitude at all times.

“Ultimately, always remember that you are part of something greater than yourself. You are part of a legacy of excellence, a tradition of innovation, and a commitment to making the world a better place,” he said.

Highlights of the occasion included the administration of the matriculation oath on the students by the Vice-Chancellor and remarks by the founder, Prof. Leonard Wantchecon, who shared his vision for the university and welcomed the students to the campus.

The students were also guided by the Director-General of Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Dr Soji Eniade; and the Registrar of the African Aviation and Aerospace University, Dr Mustapha Sheikh, represented by his Deputy Registrar, Mr Dennis Onwukwe as well as the wife of the Chairman, Dr Kate Maduagwu.

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Unreported Attacks Fueling Violence in Plateau—Stakeholders Urge Decisive Action

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Unreported Attacks Fueling Violence in Plateau—Stakeholders Urge Decisive Action

By: Zagazola Makama

Beneath the surface of Plateau State’s persistent security challenges lies a disturbing trend: the rising tide of unreported and isolated attacks, amid a silence of conspiracy, quietly fueling cycles of violence across rural communities.

The recent recovery of 58 rustled cows by Nigerian security forces in Hiktup Village, Kombun District, Mangu Local Government Area points to a much larger, largely hidden crisis that security experts say demands urgent government intervention.

According to police sources, the cows were recovered during a routine patrol on Friday evening and are currently in police custody as efforts continue to trace their rightful owners.

Zagazola Makama has previously reported how the cattle were rustled from herders in Murish village, Mangu Local Government Area after one harder was killed by a group of about 30 youths from the area. One other herder, 21-year-old Abdullahi Suleiman, remains missing. Of the rustled livestock, 11 were initially recovered.

However, response agencies remained silent, with no arrests made despite the fact that the perpetrators are known and Abdullahi Suleiman is still missing.

While this recovery represents a success for law enforcement, many similar incidents across Plateau’s vast rural landscape go unreported, either due to fear, communal distrust, or lack of access to justice. In many cases, even if perpetrators are captured, local government chairmen and traditional rulers ensure that the cases do not see the light of day.

These isolated attacks on some cattle settlements, in the name of fighting bandits, have become flashpoints for deadly reprisal attacks between farming and herding communities in Plateau State. Those who dare to speak out against it are often labeled as bandits’ apologists or terrorist sympathizers. The narrative suggests that Fulani herders are invading lands and displacing local communities.

On Monday, gunmen reportedly killed a herder named Hamza Sulaiman in the Shen community, Jos South LGA of Plateau State. The attack occurred around 12:30 p.m. while six herders were grazing. Three cattle and several sheep were also killed.

In a separate incident, 26 cattle were allegedly poisoned near the INEC office in Mangu LGA. Musa Muhammad, Secretary of MACBAN in Mangu, stated that the cattle were grazing when the poisoning occurred around 1:30 p.m. Local security personnel, including the DSS and police, visited the scene and confirmed the deaths, discovering poisoned mangoes and contaminated water.

Earlier, on April 16, about 36 cattle, reportedly belonging to one Samaila Nuhu, were poisoned at Tafi Gana Junction in Zanwar Ward of Bassa Local Government Area. The government has stated it is investigating the matter through the Ministry of Livestock Development, Veterinary Services, and Fisheries.

Security analysts are concerned that unless urgent steps are taken to address the root causes of these crimes, the state risks an escalation of violence. Each individual killed, each stolen cow, each poisoned animal represents more than just an economic loss; it triggers a cycle of revenge, widening the fault lines between communities.

The inability to swiftly prosecute culprits and ensure sincere mediation of these disputes has emboldened criminal elements, with some groups exploiting the situation to advance ethnic and religious divisions.

Stakeholders are therefore calling on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to take decisive actions against individuals and groups found to be fueling the crisis, whether through direct attacks or by inciting retaliatory violence.

They also advocate for the strengthening of community policing initiatives, the deployment of more surveillance teams in vulnerable areas, and the establishment of a comprehensive livestock identification and tracking system to against cattle rustling. Please end the Crises Now.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region

Unreported Attacks Fueling Violence in Plateau—Stakeholders Urge Decisive Action

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Inspector dies after altercation which led to attack by a fellow police family in Lagos barracks

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Inspector dies after altercation which led to attack by a fellow police family in Lagos barracks

By: Zagazola Makama

An Inspector, Ibrahim Usman, has died following a physical altercation involving a fellow resident and her children at the Queen Barracks, Apapa, Lagos.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Friday at about 11:10 a.m. after a misunderstanding between W/Inspector Gambo Yusuf and the wife of the deceased, both occupants of the barracks.

In the course of the altercation, Yusuf and her children allegedly assaulted Inspector Usman, knocking him to the ground where he lost consciousness.

He was immediately rushed to the General Hospital, Apapa, where he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.

A team of detectives visited the scene of the incident and the hospital, where the body was inspected and photographed before being deposited at the morgue for preservation and autopsy.

Yusuf and her children have been taken into custody and are being investigated over the incident.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, has ordered a thorough investigation to ensure that justice is served,”said the sources.

Inspector dies after altercation which led to attack by a fellow police family in Lagos barracks

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