Seven operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have sustained injuries, while one of their operation vehicles was damaged during a raid at Nukai market, along Jalingo-Wukari road in Taraba State capital, Jalingo.
Despite the attack, the officers arrested Micha Godwin, a notorious drug dealer at the market, as well as recovered some quantities of illicit drugs from the suspect before retreating to the hospital for treatment.
A spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said the operatives, following intelligence, on Tuesday, March 8, stormed the market at about 2:30 p.m. to arrest the drug dealer and evacuate illicit substances in his warehouse.
“Soon after the arrest of Micha, miscreants mobilised from the community to attack the officers and vehicles with dangerous weapons.
“A reinforcement from the state command of the Agency and other security agencies was able to move in to rescue the operatives from the scene of the attack,” Babafemi said.
According to him, the drug dealer in custody said, “what happened today is bad because this is the second time I have been arrested and brought here but the first arrest was not like this. I don’t know who invited the boys who attacked the NDLEA officers.”
MEANWHILE, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has condemned the attack and directed an immediate switch to new operational guidelines that will make officers and men well-positioned to defend themselves adequately in the course of carrying out their duties.
He warned that henceforth any obstruction or attack on NDLEA operatives in line of duty by suspects or their supporters would receive a commensurate response.
