Virtual Training on Outbreak Containment for Law Enforcement for Nigeria

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) within the Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) concluded the Virtual Training on Outbreak Containment for Law Enforcement, with a focus on bioterrorism, for Nigeria, organized in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations. The event was closed by Dr. Levin Damisah, Head of Medical Intelligence, Office of the National Security Adviser.

This training was organized within the framework of the UNCCT programme on Preventing and Responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism.It provided an overview of the bioterrorism threat and the role performed by law enforcement in responding to serious public health emergencies. Participants had an opportunity to hear about global terrorism, biological agents weaponization, investigative challenges of bioterrorism, crime scene management, personal protective equipment, and decontamination, among other topics. Participants also engaged in exercises, case studies, and facilitated discussions.

In the closing remarks, Dr. Levin Damisah, Head of Medical Intelligence, Office of the National Security Adviser stated: “At no other time in history, has the world faced current nature, complexity and types of threats to global security and peace. The threat of Bioterrorism in particular is becoming more real than ever before; even as the world evolves rapidly. Building capacity of stakeholders across the globe remains the only preemptive panacea to mitigating this threat […] Moving forward, the lessons learned from this exercise will be used to develop actionable steps for our response Agencies.”

The four-days virtual training brought together representatives of a wide variety of agencies and entities, including the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, Federal Fire Service, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Atomic Energy Commission, the National Authority on Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions, the National Biosafety Management Agency, the National Biotechnology Development Agency, the National Central Bureau, the National Emergency Management Agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York.

UNOCT was established in June 2017 to provide leadership on the implementation of General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates, to enhance coordination and coherence, including through the Global Counter-Terrorism Compact, and to strengthen the delivery of the United Nations counter-terrorism capacity building assistance to Member States, including through the UNCCT. UNCCT remains committed to assisting Member States in preventing CBRN terrorist attacks and promoting inter-agency collaboration to ensure that prevention, detection, preparedness and response capabilities are firmly in place.


For more information, visit www.un.org/uncct or contact oct-info@un.org