US to support NDLEA on improved intelligence gathering capacity

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says the United States government has announced a project to improve the agency’s capacity for intelligence gathering and prosecution.

In a statement on Monday, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s spokesperson, said the project will also support the agency’s forensic and chemical analysis capacity.

Babafemi said the support, which is from the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, was a result of requests by Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, following meetings with US officials in Abuja and Washington DC.

He said according to a letter announcing the development, the project would be implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.

“Aside from the support for the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the Agency, the U.S. government also said the project will further support NDLEA efforts to conduct intelligence-led investigations through diverse resources as well as legal books and an e-library for prosecution and other legal needs of the Agency,” the statement reads.

“Through all this, the NDLEA will be better equipped to prosecute cases with reliable evidence, using improved collection, handling, and custodial procedures.