The United States (U.S.) has concluded a five-day training workshop in Abuja with Nigerian defence and security agencies towards enhancing capabilities to investigate chemical and biological weapons-contaminated crime scenes.
The training workshop, which was held between September 19-23, 2022, had participants from Nigerian domestic security services, law enforcement, and first responders.
According to a statement by the U.S. Embassy Abuja, it was “aimed at enhancing their ability to investigate terrorist plots involving chemical and biological weapons (CBW). This is part of a series of trainings the Department of State is sponsoring across Africa.
“Recent events in the Middle East have demonstrated the real threat of terrorist acquisition and use of chemical and biological weapons on the battlefield or in ungoverned spaces. These attacks have highlighted the need for countries to have effective national responses, particularly a strong investigative framework and established communication channels among technical experts, law enforcement, and national security stakeholders.
“As part of the training in Nigeria, U.S. technical experts provided local officials with guidance and information to establish universally adopted crime scene management protocols to ensure that any evidence collected at a CBW crime scene can be used in a court of law and ultimately bring the perpetrator to justice.
“Local officials had the opportunity to navigate a simulated CBW crime scene in full personal protective equipment, practice documenting a crime scene, and conduct proper decontamination procedures.
“The engagement between U.S. and Nigerian experts also involved sharing best practices and lessons learned, resulting in an increased level of preparedness against potential CBW terrorism plots or attacks.
“The United States is committed to working with allies and partners to counter the threat posed by CBW terrorism.”
