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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has begun formally inducting AK-47 rifles and advanced pistols into its operations for the first time in its 36-year history, citing the growing threat posed by armed and organised drug trafficking networks.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), disclosed this on Monday at the inauguration of a Train-the-Trainer Course on Weapon Handling covering the AK-47 Rifle Type 56-1 and HS-9/CF98A pistols at the agency’s academy in Jos, Plateau State.
Marwa, represented by his Chief of Staff, Col. Murtala Aminu, said drug trafficking organisations had evolved from commercial criminal enterprises into armed and ruthless networks, making it untenable to send officers into the field without adequate firepower and training.
“This programme is, therefore, not just about firearms, it is about the preservation of lives and the projection of institutional strength,” Marwa said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for backing the agency’s expanded operational capacity, and credited the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for supplying the initial consignment of firearms and ammunition that allowed the training to begin without delay.
On procurement, Marwa said the arms deal running since 2023 through China’s NORINCO has reached its final stage, with thousands of weapons and ammunition due for imminent delivery under an approved distribution plan.
The NDLEA is partnering with the Nigerian Air Force to airlift the weapons to its commands nationwide.
The current course is producing the agency’s pioneer master trainers, selected on merit from commands across the country, who will lead a mandatory one-month training programme for all personnel before the weapons are deployed operationally.
Marwa told participants they were “the standard-bearers” who would shape the agency’s safety culture and operational discipline going forward, urging them to treat weapons handling with discipline, embed safety as a culture rather than a checklist, temper firearm authority with judgement and respect for rules of engagement, and lead by example as instructors.
He described the arms induction as a new chapter for an agency that has grown more professionalised in recent years, pointing to record drug seizures and dismantled trafficking networks as evidence of the NDLEA’s enhanced capacity.
