NESREA partners military on environmental crime

This was made known after a meeting between the Chairman of the Governing Board of NESREA, Barrister Huzi Ishaku Mshelia and the Chief of Defense Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, in Abuja, recently.
Barrister Mshelia pointed out that owing to the extreme environmental challenges which created humanitarian crises and hamper development, governments all over the world now viewed such challenges as security issues.
He said partnership with the military would ensure a more effective response to environmental crimes and problems.
Director General of NESREA, Dr. Mrs. Ngeri S. Benebo, identified environmental crime as a serious problem which can directly or indirectly impact on the economy, security of the nation and our existence.
She stated: “It has a strong transnational and sophisticated component and can only be effectively tackled through the unified efforts of the international community, national law enforcement and regulatory agencies and other key stakeholders.”
Benebo raised the alarm that environmental elements or components maybe used in terrorist activities, calling for the assistance of the military in tackling environmental crimes such as illegal trade in wildlife and controlled chemicals.
Benebo outlined the areas of collaboration to include: “Environmental education and awareness in the military barracks nationwide as well as sanitation and waste control, capacity building and human resource development, including lectures, technical presentations at various military training institutions, such as the National Defence College, Abuja,  Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.”
Responding, the Chief of Defense Staff stated the preparedness of the military to work with NESREA to combat environmental crimes.
He revealed that some controlled substances were being used in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), hence, the need for inter-agency collaboration to ensure effective control of such substances.
Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh nominated Mogadishu Cantonment for a pilot waste control project by NESREA.