'We Need More Sniffer Dogs, 1 Costs $20,000,' Top Government Agency Boss Tells Lawmakers, FG
- Nigeria need more sniffer dogs to fight the rising illicit drug trafficking, the chairman of the Nigerians Drug and Law Enforcement Agency has said
- General Buba Marwa (retired) told members of the House of Representatives that a sniffer dog costs about $15,000 to $20,000
- According to the NDLEA boss, the dogs provided to the agency by the German police is not enough to tackle drug-related crimes across the nation
The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has called on the National Assembly to approve funds for the purchase of more sniffer dogs for the agency.
Premium Times reports that Marwa said that the NDLEA needs more sniffer dogs than it currently has at its disposal for the fight against illicit drug trafficking, especially among cartels across the country and beyond.
Source: UGC
Speaking while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Narcotics to defend the agency's budget, the NDLEA boss noted that one sniffer dog costs as much as $20,000 (N8.78 million at N439.17 per dollar).
However, refusing to disclose how many dogs the NDLEA needs to meet up the agency's demand and how many it currently has, Marwa admitted that the German government recently donated some dogs to the agency.
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He also said that the German government is building a six million Euro dog training school in Lagos for West African countries.
His words:
“We definitely need dogs. Dogs cost between $15,000 and $20,000 each. I won’t state in this forum to the hearing of the cartels how many dogs we have. We need more dogs. I will take the opportunity to express appreciation to the German criminal police - we work with them. On the dogs, they supply the dogs.
“They just supplied a few. More importantly, they are building a six million euro dog training school in Lagos which would be used also with our neighbours in ECOWAS."
The NDLEA boss added that the anti-drug agency is working effortlessly to secure more sniffer dogs for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He said:
“In Abuja, we are working on the dogs, but drug do not pass because we have scanners."
Lawmaker reacts to Marwa's request
In his reaction, the chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Agbo confirmed that the agency has no sniffer dog at the airport in Abuja.
He further assured Marwa that the committee will recommend an increment of the budget to ensure that officers get befitting barracks.
NDLEA declares popular Lagos socialite, Afolabi Kazeem, Adekaz, wanted
The NDLEA had earlier declared the popular Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Ademola Afolabi Kazeem, popularly known as Adekaz wanted.
The anti-drug agency alleged that Adekaz is a drug warlord who sponsored some traffickers that were recently arrested while trying to transport some cocaiine to Dubai.
The agency said it obtained a court order to some of his properties in Lagos and Ibadan, as well as blocked his bank account.
'Illicit drug' peddlers in trouble as FG approves N1bn for NDLEA to buy lie detector, night vision glasses
The federal government had earlier considered the need to enhance the capacity of the NDLEA in exterminating illicit drug trafficking.
The sum of N1 billion was approved for the purchase of a lie detector scanner and night vision glasses for the agency.
Abubakar Malami, the minister of justice made this known after the weekly FEC meeting on Wednesday, March 30.
Source: Legit.ng
