A new United States report on Narcotics, which was on Thursday presented by William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs before the US Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, has indicted traffickers from Nigeria and other West African countries.
The report, a copy which was made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND on Thursday, notes that trans-national organised crime, including drug trafficking, is a major threat to security and governance in Nigeria and other West-African nations.
Traffickers from West-Africa are moving drugs, people, small arms, oil, cigarettes, counterfeit drugs, and toxic waste through the region, generating large profits for trans-national criminal networks, the report says, adding that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had estimated that, together, these illicit activities generate approximately $3.34 billion a year.
“Cocaine trafficking is one of the most lucrative of these illicit activities. In fact, the U.S. government and the UNODC have estimated that about 13 percent of the global cocaine flow moves through West Africa” the report noted.
The report warned West African governments to extend the rule of law, secure communities, and enforce common and transparent laws for all their citizens. “West Africa is a diverse region. WACSI will strengthen the capacity of host governments for security operations and will empower our partners to execute lawful operations”