The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has commenced the formal induction of AK-47 rifles and advanced pistols into its operations
According to the agency, this is to strengthen its capacity against increasingly armed and violent drvg trafficking syndicates across the country.
The Chairman of the agency, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd.), announced the development on Monday during the inauguration of a specialised train-the-trainer course on weapon handling at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State.
According to a statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the training covers the handling of AK-47 rifle Type 56-1 and HS-9/CF98A pistols and marks the first time in the agency’s 36-year history that such weapons are being formally inducted into its operations.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Col Murtala Aminu, Marwa said the decision was informed by the changing nature of the fight against drvg trafficking, noting that crim!nal organisations had become heavily armed and more sophisticated.
“The nature of the war we fight has evolved. Drvg trafficking organisations are no longer mere commercial crim!nal enterprises; they are armed, organised, and ruthless.
“Our officers face increasing danger in the field, and it would be unconscionable for this agency to send men and women into harm’s way without the tools and training to protect themselves and the public they serve.
“This programme is, therefore, not just about firearms; it is about the preservation of lives and the projection of institutional strength,” he said.
According to him, the pioneer participants in the training were selected on merit from various commands and would return to their formations to conduct a mandatory one-month weapons handling training for all personnel before the firearms are deployed for operations.
Addressing them, he said; “The weight of that responsibility should not be lost on you. You are the first. You are the standard-bearers. The operational culture, the safety ethos and the professional discipline that will define how the NDLEA handles weapons all begin here.”
Marwa cautioned the trainees to exercise the highest level of discipline and professionalism in handling the firearms.
“Weapons handling is not a privilege; it is a grave responsibility. Every firearm must be treated with the seriousness it demands at all times,” he added.
He also warned that the agency would not tolerate negligence, stressing that firearm proficiency must be guided by restraint, sound judgment, adherence to the rule of law and established rules of engagement.
The NDLEA chairman thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting efforts to strengthen the agency’s operational capacity and also commended the Office of the National Security Adviser for providing the initial consignment of firearms and ammunition that enabled the training to commence.
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