The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has commenced the formal induction of AK-47 rifles and advanced pistols into its operational arsenal as part of efforts to strengthen its capacity to confront increasingly armed and violent drug trafficking syndicates across the country.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer 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 drug trafficking, noting that criminal organisations had become heavily armed and more sophisticated.
“The nature of the war we fight has evolved. Drug trafficking organisations are no longer mere commercial criminal enterprises; they are armed, organised, and ruthless.
