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# 									Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: Nigeria Summary							

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

As the “Giant of Africa,” Nigeria is the continent’s most populous country, largest economy, largest democracy, and an emerging global power. As a key U.S. ally, Nigeria confronts several internal security crises, – including ISIS affiliates, kidnapping gangs, criminal organizations, farmer-herder tensions, and separatist movements – that overwhelm civilian security forces. Additionally, transnational criminal networks have made Nigeria a major source, hub, and destination for drug trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and illicit goods; piracy and maritime crime plague Nigeria’s coasts; unauthorized entities illegally mine and log Nigeria’s natural resources; and Nigeria is a leading source for cybercrime.

INL programming seeks to increase capabilities, promote professionalism, and foster sustainability within Nigerian criminal justice system.  Such efforts enable our Nigerian allies to address acute security and criminal threats, drug and illegal goods trafficking, access to justice issues, and protection of human rights.

## INL Programming

        - Civilian Security and Law Enforcement  – Build capacity with Nigerian law enforcement at the federal level and in key states hit hard by kidnapping, criminal gangs, and farmer-herder tensions; promote community policing best practices to encourage responsive, preventative policing.
        - Corrections  – Build capabilities of Nigerian corrections partners at the federal and state level to register, track, and categorize pre-trial detainees and convicts; adopt standardized best practices to ensure constitutional norms for pre-trial detainees; and promote increased capacity and professionalism among corrections service staff.
        - Rule of Law  – Build capacity with Nigerian federal and state partners through training, mentoring, and adoption of standardized, and international best practices and procedures to promote increased capacity and professionalism within Nigeria’s courts and corrections facilities.
        - Counternarcotics  – Build capacity of Nigerian partners to counter the trafficking of drugs, humans, and illegal goods; interdict and dismantle clandestine meth labs; and conduct advanced forensic analysis of synthetic and plant-based drugs.
        - Cybercrime  – Build capacity of Nigeria partners to investigate, prosecute, and curb cybercrime that plagues Nigerian and U.S. citizens; work with the United States and other allies to develop a new UN cybercrime treaty.

## Goals

        - Nigerian federal and state law enforcement demonstrate increased operational and professional capabilities to combat criminality, terrorism, gang violence, piracy, and trafficking of illegal substances and goods.
        - The Nigerian law enforcement undertakes reform that improves operational management, employs community policing, and increases observance of human rights.
        - Nigerian law enforcement exhibits increased discipline and accountability in officer misconduct, criminal behavior, and human rights abuses.
        - Nigerian courts demonstrate improved case management and court reporting that ensures the timely hearing and adjudication of cases and improved adherence to the constitutional limit of 72 hours.
        - Nigerian corrections facilities demonstrate improved tracking and categorization of inmates and pre-trial detainees.
        - Nigerian agencies investigate, arrest, and prosecute cyber-related crime.
        - Nigeria is able to secure prosecutions of wildlife traffickers and corrupt officials and cooperates with its neighbors to investigate wildlife crimes.

## Accomplishments/Impact

        - Through INL assistance, the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made several notable drug busts in the past two years, including the largest ever cocaine seizure in Nigeria (2.1 tons), the largest seizure of tramadol (1.7 million pills), and Nigeria’s first-ever seizures of captagon (451,000 pills) and fentanyl.
        - The NDLEA has positioned itself as a regional leader in cooperating with and improving their neighbors’ counter-narcotics capabilities.
        - Through INL support, Nigeria developed an effective registration and tracking process in select prisons. After the July 2022 ISWAP attack on Kuje prison, Nigeria’s Corrections Service was able to identify and publicize within hours every one of the 800-plus escaped prisoners.
        - INL pioneered the deployment of Nigerian-designed software that transcribes court proceedings within hours, allowing judges to double, even triple the number of cases heard in a day.
        - INL pioneered the deployment of audio and video equipment to enabling virtual hearings, ensuring detainee attendance, timely hearings of detainee cases and reducing the rescheduling of hearings.
        - Nigeria acceded to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime in 2022.
        - Nigeria took an active role in the INL-supported Ransomware Summit, often supporting U.S. positions and initiatives.
        - INL-supported training for Nigerian maritime law enforcement and prosecutors on piracy cases has facilitated a sharp drop in piracy in the country’s territorial waters.
        - INL in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard has deployed the first-ever Maritime Advisor to Nigeria to facilitate increase capabilities of Nigerian’s maritime and law enforcement agencies to address piracy, drug trafficking, and other maritime crimes.
        - With just two years of INL support, the Nigeria law enforcement has secured at least four multi-ton wildlife seizures and established a Special Wildlife Crime Unit in Customs to investigate active cases.

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