NDLEA trains sniffer dog handlers in narcotics detection

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has trained 11 members of its Canine Unit in narcotics detection as part of efforts to strengthen the use of sniffer dogs in detecting concealed drugs at the country’s entry points.

The refresher training was held at the NDLEA Canine Unit Facility in Lagos in collaboration with Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

Two German technical dog-handling experts, Andreas Roscher and Jacqueline Shüler, conducted the training, which included practical exercises at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), APM Terminals Apapa and the MMIA NAHCO export shed.

The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement on Saturday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The participants comprised the Canine Unit commander, two veterinary doctors and eight dog handlers, alongside their service dogs.

Five other officers from NDLEA commands in Lagos who have expressed interest in joining the unit also participated in the training.

The handlers were trained in advanced obedience and control, narcotics detection, scent imprinting and search patterns. The course also covered handler safety and the deployment of dogs in high-risk areas.

NDLEA identifies manpower, logistics gaps

The training comes as the agency acknowledges the need for more personnel and facilities for its Canine Unit.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa, stated that the agency needed more service dogs, handlers and boarding facilities to adequately cover international airports, seaports and land borders across the country.

“Our canine teams remain one of the most potent assets in our detection and interdiction efforts, and this is why we will continue to invest in their retraining and welfare,” Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier general, said.

He noted that the dogs and their handlers had contributed to the agency’s efforts to detect concealed narcotics at airports, seaports and border points.

“This partnership with our German counterparts further strengthens that capacity and aligns our operations with global best practices,” he said.

Mr Marwa explained that the agency was working to address the manpower and logistical challenges facing the unit.

He also supported a recommendation that the refresher training be conducted annually.

The NDLEA has continued to report major drug seizures at Lagos entry points.

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In August, the agency said it intercepted more than 3.9 million tablets of tramadol and tapentadol, as well as 47,200 pills of captagon, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. It valued the consignments at more than N6.2 billion.

The agency has previously reported the use of its canine teams in drug detection operations. In 2025, Mr Marwa said sniffer dogs had contributed to the seizure of more than 17.9 tonnes of illicit drugs since their deployment.

The agency’s latest training is therefore taking place against the backdrop of its continuing drug detection operations at airports, seaports and other entry points, while it works to expand the capacity of its canine unit.