FIGHTING NIGERIA'S COUNTER-NARCOTICS WAR

Lagos

The release of the 2003 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report by
the United States government appears to have been misunderstood by some
Nigerians, who erroneously felt the country was not doing enough in the
anti-narcotics fight.

A perusal of the report reveals Nigeria's epic battle to curb the drug menace.

Godwin Haruna tells the story

Recently, the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2003 (INCSR)
released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs, a US agency, has been largely misrepresented by a section of the
press in Nigeria. US President, Mr. George W. Bush despatched the INCSR to
Congress listing the major illicit drug producing and drug-transit
countries. In the same report, Bush provided his determination on which of
these countries has "failed demonstrably to make substantial efforts"
during the previous 12 months to adhere to international counter-narcotics
agreements and to take the counter-narcotics measures specified in US law.

The certification determination required the US president to consider each
country's performance in areas such as stemming illicit cultivation,
extraditing drug traffickers, and taking legal steps and law enforcement
measures to prevent and punish public corruption that facilitates drug
trafficking or impedes prosecution of drug-related crimes.

The US president also had to consider efforts taken by these countries to
stop production and export of, and reduce the domestic demand for illegal
drugs.

The report identified Nigeria alongside 21 others as major drug-transit or
major illicit drug producing countries.

However, it noted: "A country's presence on the majors list is not
necessarily an adverse reflection of its government's counter-narcotics
efforts or level of cooperation with the United States. Consistent with the
statutory definition of a major drug-transit or drug-producing country set
forth in section 481(e)(5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as
amended (the FAA), one of the reasons that major drug-transit or drug
producing countries are placed on the list is the combination of
geographical, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit
or be produced despite the concerned governments' most assiduous enforcement".

The report went further to designate Burma and Haiti as countries that have
failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their
obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements and to take
the measures set forth in US law. The report also noted with concern that
heroin and methamphetamine trafficking has been linked to North Korea and
expressed the US determination to stop the country's involvement in
narcotics production and trafficking.

The report's Country Actions Against Drugs in 2003 on Nigeria noted that
NDLEA created State Commands - local offices in each of the country's
administrative jurisdiction to ensure a comprehensive nationwide presence
of the agency.

Thus, the agency now has 37 State Commands in addition to the national
headquarters and nine Special Area Commands. It stated that the
computerisation of the agency's administrative and accounting statistics
ensures greater efficiency and transparency. According to the report, NDLEA
also sponsored several events to increase awareness of drug abuse among
school age children and hosted, with private sponsors, a money laundering
workshop to explain to banks and other financial institutions their role in
stemming money laundering activity in the country. It noted that the
continuity provided by the current NDLEA chairman, Alhaji Bello Lafiaji,
has exacted a greater measure of commitment and loyalty from the NDLEA
field personnel and staff and has resulted in increased efforts and
training opportunities at all levels of the Agency. As an example of
NDLEA's commitment to trained personnel and regional cooperation, Nigeria
has contributed $2 million towards a five-year $6 million United Nations
Office on Drug and Control (UNODC) project to convert NDLEA Academy in Jos
to a Regional Law Enforcement Training Centre. The first phase of the
project is underway.

The INCSR 2003 recorded several accomplishments of Nigeria's
counter-narcotics efforts under the Lafiaji era: "The NDLEA continues its
successful interdiction of couriers for the U. K. and U. S. through Murtala
Mohammed International Airport in Lagos as well as Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport in Abuja. NDLEA helped intercept over $3,000,000
worth of fraudulent cheques and, with the added cooperation of Federal
Express, over $200,000 in merchandise that had been purchased with stolen
credit cards was returned to the respective vendors.

"The NDLEA has assumed a leadership role in drug enforcement in the region.
With DEA assistance, the NDLEA created the West African Joint Operation
(WAJO) initiative, bringing together drug enforcement personnel from 15
countries in the region to improve regional cooperation. A DEA-assisted
WAJO planning conference will be held in the Gambia in early 2004. The
NDLEA continues expanded counter narcotics cooperation with the Police in
South Africa, where Nigeria criminal organisations are believed to be
responsible for the bulk of drug trafficking".

It stated that seizures of hard drugs in 2003 were modest, with cocaine and
heroin totalling 130 kilogrammes and 70 kilogrammes respectively; no one
seizure exceeded 15 kilogrammes. NDLEA also seized more than 937
kilogrammes of synthetic drugs and more than 530,000 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Similar successes have been recorded by the NDLEA State Commands, with one
state arresting 58 persons and seizing 1,700 kilogrammes of cannabis, 10
kilogrammes of cocaine and 9 kilogrammes of heroin between September and
November 2003. NDLEA achieved limited success in combating the various
elements of the drug trade during 2003.

The report further noted that using special drug courts, a more energetic
approach by the NDLEA to prosecute drug traffickers efficiently and
successfully resulted in over 2,300 cases, there are indications that the
preferred methods of transshipment have changed.

The NDLEA unit at Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport conducts 100
per cent searches of passengers and carry-on baggage.

This is extremely significant given the addition of World Airways direct
flights to the U. S. from Lagos that started in May, 2003. It noted that
the enhanced security posture at this airport has prompted some drug
traffickers to use Nigerian seaports, concealing large quantities of
contraband in shipping containers. They also seem to have switched to other
West African airports and seaports with less stringent security controls.

Under domestic programmes, the report stated that the NDLEA continues to
expand its counter-narcotics clubs at Nigerian universities and distribute
counter-narcotics literature. The NDLEA has also instituted a teacher's
manual for primary and secondary schools, which offers guidance on teaching
students about drug abuse.

NDLEA sponsored a nationwide contest between primary and secondary schools
with public presentations held at the "UN Day Against Drugs" ceremony in 2003.

The DEA country office in Nigeria works with the NDLEA Joint Task Force and
other operations personnel to train, coordinate, plan and implement
internal and regional interdiction operations. At all levels, USG
representatives enjoy excellent access to their counterparts and there is
an evident desire on both sides to strengthen these relationships.
Significantly, the INCSR noted that the NDLEA Chairman, Lafiaji, is
committed to meeting agency goals and improving the morale of NDLEA officers.

It noted that a high level US-Nigeria law enforcement dialogue, initiated
by Nigeria in 2001, was renewed in December 2002 and ended with pledges by
both governments to accomplish certain objectives before the next meeting.

It stated that the majority of the goals and objectives resulting from the
December 2002 meeting have been met or exceeded.

Looking into the future of the drug interdiction enterprise, the report
noted that after years of non-cooperation, the U.S. and Nigeria enjoy an
excellent relationship and improved cooperation on the law enforcement front.

It stated that federal funding for Nigerian law enforcement agencies and
key anti-crime agencies, however, remains insufficient and erratic in
disbursement. It urges the Nigerian government to remedy the situation if
significant landmarks were to be made in the drug interdiction battle. "It
will require strong and sustained political will and continued
international assistance for any Nigerian government to confront these
difficult issues and bring about meaningful change", it stated.

The report stressed that in an encouraging commitment to professionalism in
police work, NDLEA has mandated all their officers undergo re-training at
the basic level and mid-level before qualifying for promotion under the new
promotion programme.

Asked to comment on the report, Mr. Jonah Achema, assistant director of
public affairs at NDLEA, stated that contrary to some misrepresentations in
the media in Nigeria, the report did not portray the country in bad light.

Achema maintained that the INCSR actually applauded the Agency's
counter-narcotics efforts, especially since the assumption of office of
Lafiaji, who he said has zealously pursued the drug war in many innovative
ways never witnessed in the Agency. He clarified some salient terms such as
transit nation and de-certification as used in the report for a better
understanding of the issues involved.

On transit nation, he said: "Within the international narcotics control
framework, nations are classified based on their level of involvement in
the drug market.

Some nations are classified as source (producer) countries, suggesting that
drugs originate from such countries. Others are regarded as consumer
countries, that is, such countries consume drugs on a very large scale that
it provides a lucrative market for drug trafficking. Yet still, some
countries classified as transit countries, in which case, these countries
are used as conduits to move drugs from source to consumer countries.

This is made possible by the reason of their geographical location,
population of not less than 120 million, where two out of five black
persons in the world is a Nigerian and volume of commercial activities like
easy transportation, air link to Europe and America". Achema explained that
some Asian and Latin American countries are classified as source countries.

The US and some European countries, he added, are classified as consumer
countries while Nigeria is only a transit country, just like Ghana and
others within the continent.

He stated that Nigeria dose not produce either of the internationally
controlled drugs like cocaine or heroin.

However, he conceded that Nigeria produces cannabis sativa, but the Agency
was making it increasingly difficult for people to cultivate. He said since
the classification was largely a function of position in the trafficking
chain, it was never a factor upon which US certification was based. "That
Nigeria is listed as a transit nation by the US government is no news and
cannot be interpreted to mean that the country has been decertified or is
on the verge of US de-certification", Achema stated. On certification, he
stated that by the time Lafiaji assumed office, Nigeria had been
decertified for almost eight years.

But through conscientious devotion to duty and single minded pursuit of
objectives as a team player, Nigeria was certified barely six months into
Lafiaji's tenure. He added that the country has never been tainted since
then despite constraints in the performance of their duty, they have been
meeting operational objectives in the counter-narcotic war. "At what point
therefore, has Nigeria been decertified by the US government when the
Agency is still very much consistent with the performance that has earned
the country certification for three consecutive years", Achema queried and
added: "Indeed, the Agency has been properly repositioned to exceed its
performance in the last three years, with the recent overhauling of its
operational machinery, and the creation of 37 state commands and ten
special area commands.

For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is fully certified as a cooperating
country in the fight against drug trafficking worldwide.

The leadership role of Nigeria in the continent in this regard is self
evident through the support NDLEA has mobilised for the country and the
respect it has earned worldwide.

Drug know no race, tribe or borders, hence the need for all and sundry to
have a stake in efforts being made to curb its prevalence".