Three officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been injured as they witnessed an attack by hoodlums in Opuje community in the Owan West local government area of Edo State.
According to reports, the armed hoodlums blocked all roads leading to the community to stop NDLEA officers from entering their forest warehouse.
The warehouse is said to contain a large amount of processed psychedelic substances, which will be distributed nationwide for the coming Christmas and New Year celebrations.
In a statement made by Femi Babatunde, the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, to Punch Newspaper on Thursday, he stated that during the attack, one of the officers was shot in the head, three were injured, and the vehicles used for the mission were punctured 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,” he said.
According to him, the incident is happening just 11 months after drug barons recruited some armed youths who attacked NDLEA officers who came to destroy their tents and warehouse containing over 317,417 kilograms of cannabis sativa on January 18, 2023.
Babafemi stated that during the attack, one of them was shot in the head, three were injured, and the vehicles used for the mission were punctured 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,” he stated.
He said this is coming just 11 months after some drug barons recruited armed youths who attacked NDLEA officers who arrived in the community to destroy tents and warehouses containing over 317,417 kilograms of cannabis sativa on January 18, 2023.
“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 6,000 kg of cannabis were first taken down in Ujiogba Forest in Esan West LGA last weekend.
“The NDLEA teams, however, came under gunfire attack in the early hours of Monday, December 4, when they approached the Opuje forest after the armed hoodlums had blocked all access roads in the community. The NDLEA operatives were able to exit the area after over two hours of gunfights with the armed hoodlums.”
In addition to the incident, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, said that people sponsoring the attack will not rest until they’re brought to the law to face their consequences.