ASHENEWS reports that a fierce gun battle between operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) in Edo State has left three officials injured with one currently bulled for a brain surgery.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
The statement said that the NDLEA operatives were able to exit the area after over two hours of gun fight with the armed hoodlums.
“The affected officers were rushed to the hospital for treatment while the critically injured one had a major surgery on Wednesday 6th December to remove the bullets in his brain.”
Babafemi said that the incident occurred when armed hoodlums blocked all roads in Opuje community, Owan West local government area of Edo state to prevent the anti-narcotic operatives from accessing the forest warehouses where tons of processed psychoactive substances have been stored for distribution nationwide ahead of the coming Christmas and New Year season.
“This is coming barely 11 months after armed youths recruited by drug barons ambushed NDLEA officers who stormed the community to destroy massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of cannabis sativa on Wednesday 18th January 2023.
“At least, three suspects: Omoruan Theophilus, 37; Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs then.
According to the NDLEA, the Opuje community is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares.
“After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.
“Following credible intelligence that the drug cartels had again stocked their warehouses in the forest to start 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 block the distribution of the illicit drug by destroying their warehouses. Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000kgs of cannabis were first taken down in Ujiogba forest in Esan West LGA last weekend.”
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) warned that those sponsoring attacks on the operatives would know no rest until they are all brought before the law to face the consequences of their action and their criminal trade terminated.
While commending the professional conduct of the officers involved in the operation, Marwa said the incident will not in any way deter the Agency from continuing its ongoing offensive action against drug barons and cartels.
