After the signature of the Letter of Agreement between UNODC and Nigeria for the implementation of the AIRCOP at the end of August, the initial training of the future Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) of Abuja, was delivered between 25 September and 6 October.
The training was attended by 26 Nigerian officers from several agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); Customs; National Police Service (NPS); Nigerian Immigration service (NIS); Intelligence service (DSS) and Aviation security (AVSEC).
The training was delivered by three EU law enforcement experts, two from UK Border Force and one from French Police, and marked the first partnership between AIRCOP and UK Border Force towards delivering joint training. Additionally UK Border Force donated drug detection kits to the NDLEA and fraudulent documents detection equipment to the NIS.
The opening ceremony was presided by the UNODC Country Representative and the NDLEA Director of technical services. The official closing ceremony, during which the 26 trainees have received their diplomas, was attended by the Head of the Regional Cooperation Section at the EU Delegation to Nigeria, the NDLEA Director of technical services as well as senior representatives of the relevant law enforecement agencies.
The following steps regarding AIRCOP in the country will consist in the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding which will allow for the official establishment of the 14th AIRCOP JAITF in Africa and the second one in Nigeria, after the Lagos’ JAITF which was established in 2013.
