AS THE U.S, UNODC PLEDGES MORE SUPPORT FOR THE DRUG WAR
By Vincess Okushi
A newly refurbished forensic laboratory has been commissioned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to boost the optimal performance of its drug war.
The laboratory was commissioned in Lagos today, Wednesday 10th January 2024.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Retd) said it has become expedient to upgrade the forensic laboratory of the Agency to ensure total eradication of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
Commending the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) for their support towards enhancing the agency’s operational standard, Marwa represented by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said the modern forensic laboratories will aid in the training of 20 NDLEA forensic analysts on drug identification as well as ensure the safe handling of synthetic opioids with the provision of safety bags consisting of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among others.
With this facility, we are now anticipating the provision of state-of-the-art analytical equipment, which will enhance optimal performance in line with standard operational laboratory procedures and best practices, which in turn will enhance evidence-based analytical processes in our forensic analysis
Everyone who knows how pivotal a forensic laboratory is to drug investigations will share my sentiment. The forensic laboratory plays a critical role in the identification of drug exhibits, in the investigation of illicit drug manufacturing, and in the dismantling of clandestine laboratories. Ultimately, it reinforces the criminal justice system
Given the current situation of illicit drugs in Nigeria, a forensic laboratory is a sine qua non for any meaningful effort to deter the problem. The reason is obvious. In three decades, Nigeria has grown from a transit country to a country that produces a farrago of new psychoactive substances, NPS, and a place where there is proliferation of clandestine laboratories, of which we have discovered and dismantled over 23.
Over the last three years that I have been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, there have been seizures of record quantities of illicit drugs, approximately 7, 590 tons. What is remarkable about these seizures is that they include not only substances already under national and international control but also an unexpectedly high number of new psychoactive substances and combinations of illicit drugs prepared by chemists working in clandestine laboratories. These substances, constituting over 10,000 exhibits, found their way to the forensic laboratory for confirmatory analysis and identification.
While speaking, U.S. Consul General Will Stevens noted that the fight against drug abuse requires security cooperation across the board to surmount threats.
The global opioid crisis calls for a coordinated, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary global response. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to modernize this chemical forensic laboratory in Lagos. This $500,000 investment will ensure our Nigerian partners have state-of-the-art equipment and training to identify and analyze suspicious substances and evidence collected from crime scenes and suspects. We appreciate Nigeria’s strong regional leadership and commitment to work with us to combat this growing threat
On the part of the UNODC Deputy Country Representative, Danilo Campisi, applauds the aged-long collaboration and vows to ensure the laboratory’s full completion.
continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of these types of interventions, implemented by organizations like UNODC
In the course of the past 12 months of implementing the first phase of this project, which primarily consisted of the provision of technical assistance, equipment, and capacity building
is an opportunity to consolidate the interventions which we commenced in the first phase and we look forward to continuing the tripartite partnership between UNODC, the US Government, and NDLEA ensuring that criminal drug trafficking networks are dismantled and brought to justice
The project was facilitated by INL and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC aimed at addressing the poor infrastructure of Nigeria’s forensic laboratory to cope with the volume of work on the ground.
