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Hoodlums attack NDLEA operatives in Edo, 3 injured. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency agents repelled an onslaught by armed hoodlums in the Opuje town of Edo State’s Owan West Local Government Area.
The hoodlums were reported to have barricaded all routes going into the community in order to prevent NDLEA agents from accessing forest storage.
These warehouses are said to store a large amount of processed psychoactive substances that will be distributed across the country in time for the impending Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
This was said in a statement made accessible to PUNCH Online on Thursday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said three of the officers were injured in the attack, with one of them shot in the head, while some of the vehicles used for the operation were riddled with bullets.
“The affected officers were rushed to the hospital for treatment while the critically injured one had a major surgery on Wednesday, December 6, to remove the bullets in his brain,” the officer said.
On Wednesday 18th January 2023, armed teenagers recruited by drug lords assaulted NDLEA officials storming the village to burn warehouses and tents housing over 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of cannabis sativa.
“Following credible intelligence that the drug cartels had restocked their warehouses in the forest in preparation for the distribution of the psychoactive substance to various parts of the country ahead of the yuletide season, teams of NDLEA officers were mobilized to enter the Edo forests and disrupt the illicit drug distribution by destroying their warehouses.” Last weekend, several of the warehouses storing approximately 6,000kgs of cannabis were first demolished at Ujiogba woodland in Esan West LGA.
“However, the NDLEA teams came under fire in the early hours of Monday 4th December when they approached the Opuje forest after armed hoodlums had blocked all access roads in the community.” After more than two hours, the NDLEA agents were allowed to leave the location.
In response to the attack, the Agency’s Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), warned that those who sponsored the attacks on the operatives would know no rest until they were all brought before the law to face the consequences of their actions and their criminal trade was ended.