Nigeria has pledged full infrastructural and operational support for the Combined Maritime Task Force in the Gulf of Guinea.
President Bola Tinubu made the commitment at the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was represented at the summit by Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu said Nigeria would host the headquarters of the Combined Maritime Task Force and provide the infrastructure needed for its smooth operation. According to him, this will include office buildings, ships, helicopters and temporary personnel to ensure the force remains effective in tackling transnational organised crime and strengthening maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea.
He also called for a stronger and more coordinated African response to security threats, rising debt challenges and the exploitation of mineral resources on the continent. The president expressed support for further steps towards activating the African Court of Justice and urged member states to ratify the African Parliament protocol. He welcomed progress on the African Standby Force and encouraged faster implementation of agreements between the AU Commission and Regional Economic Communities.
In a separate development, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it had foiled several drug trafficking attempts across the country.
The agency intercepted 1.70 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in five jerry cans at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. The drugs were bound for the United Kingdom. A cargo agent was initially arrested, while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of a 44-year-old estate surveyor in the Ahmadiya area of Lagos on February 9.
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on February 12 intercepted a package from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar. A search revealed two parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 59.2 grammes, concealed inside the instrument. The owner of the consignment was later arrested at Dream City Estate, Life Camp.
In Lagos, officers raided a four-bedroom duplex in Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki, on February 13. The property was allegedly used for producing and storing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. The raid followed the earlier seizure of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide at Iyare Motor Park along the Ajah–Epe Expressway. A driver, Amos Innocent, was arrested while transporting the consignment to Benin City, Edo State. Another suspect was arrested at the Lekki residence, where 13.2 kilogrammes of freshly produced Colorado and precursor chemicals were recovered.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, a female suspect was arrested at Hope Alakia area on February 11. Recovered from her were 1.189 kilogrammes of Colorado and skunk, 320 grammes of methamphetamine, ₦2,975,000 in cash and two Toyota Matrix vehicles.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a J5 vehicle at Bode Saadu on February 12 and recovered 105,400 pills of tramadol from a suspect.
In Edo State, five suspects were arrested on February 14 during a raid at Yoruba Camp, Olumoye Forest, in Ovia North East Local Government Area, where 563.5 kilogrammes of skunk were seized.
The agency added that it continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign in schools and communities nationwide, including awareness lectures in Oyo, Adamawa and Nasarawa states.
