US donates 11 vehicles to agency

The United States Government, on Tuesday donated 11 vehicles to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), to enhance it operations.

The U.S. Consul-General in Lagos, Mr John Bray, said at the handing-over ceremony in Lagos that the donation was to strengthen the agency’s efforts at fighting drug trafficking and abuse.

"The donation of these 11 vehicles is to enhance the agency’s operations.

"We believe that combating drug trafficking and abuse in this country is the responsibility we share as democratic nations.

"This is again to say that the U.S. will continue to support the NDLEA and Nigeria in combating drug trafficking and abuse,’’ he said.

The consul-general, who noted that drug trafficking had become a transnational crime, commended the NDLEA for the successes it had recorded so far.

He said that the U.S. government had continued to partner with the agency since its inception in 1999.

Bray said that his government had since 1999, supported the agency’s capacity building programmes and provision of equipment, including computers, drug analysers, scanners and tracking machines.

NDLEA’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Retd.Col.Muhammad Abdallad, commended the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

Abdallad said that the menace of drug trafficking had become a global problem, that would require the involvement of everybody to be eradicated.

NDLEA’s Director-General, Mrs Roli Bode-George, who said that she had also personally benefited from the U.S. capacity building programmes, also commended the U.S. commitment to the fight against drug trafficking.

Bode-George said that the agency would ensure the “judicious use” of the donated Toyota 2.7WT.i Hilux trucks and buses in its day-to-day duties.