NDLEA, German Experts Strengthen Canine Capacity Against Drug Trafficking
Oru Leonard
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has stepped up efforts to enhance its narcotics detection capabilities with a specialised refresher training for its canine handlers, conducted with the support of German technical experts.
The training, held at the NDLEA Canine Unit Facility in Lagos, was organised in collaboration with Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), with two experts, Andreas Roscher and Jacqueline Shüler, leading the exercise.
A total of 11 Canine Unit personnel, including the Unit Commander, two veterinary doctors and eight dog handlers, participated alongside their service dogs. Five other NDLEA officers from commands within Lagos also attended the programme as prospective members of the Canine Unit.
The course focused on advanced obedience and control, narcotics detection techniques, scent imprinting, search patterns, handler safety and tactical deployment of canine assets in high-risk environments.
The participants also underwent practical, real-life simulation exercises at key operational locations, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) baggage hall, APM Terminals Apapa and the MMIA NAHCO export shed.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the training would further strengthen the Agency’s ability to detect and intercept illicit drugs concealed in cargo, baggage and other channels.
Marwa described the canine teams as a critical component of the Agency’s drug interdiction operations and said continuous investment in their training and welfare remained necessary to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated trafficking methods.
He said the collaboration with the German authorities would expose NDLEA handlers to international best practices while improving their operational effectiveness.
According to him, the Agency’s successes in detecting concealed narcotics at airports, seaports and border points have been supported significantly by the capabilities of its sniffer dogs and handlers.
The NDLEA boss also acknowledged manpower and logistics gaps within the Canine Unit, particularly the need for additional service dogs, trained personnel and boarding facilities to provide adequate coverage of the country’s international airports, seaports and land borders.
He disclosed that steps were being taken to address the identified gaps, while noting the recommendation that the specialised refresher training should become an annual exercise.
The development is part of the NDLEA’s broader efforts to strengthen professional capacity and improve its operational response to the evolving methods employed by drug trafficking networks.
(NDLEA Media Headquarters, Abuja
September 19, 2026)
