The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed an attack on some of its operatives by fake security officers during an operation to seize a consignment of illicit drugs in Lagos in the early hours of Tuesday.
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The NDLEA operatives were attacked while on a trail of a truck conveying illicit drugs known as ‘Canadian loud’ on Awolowo road, Ikoyi.
In the process of intercepting the consignment, the fake officers who were escorting the truck reportedly opened fire on the NDLEA operatives, reports The Cable.
Confirming the incident, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said soldiers from a nearby military hospital assisted the NDLEA officers to fight off the security agents.
Babafemi said the NDLEA seized the truck and drug consignment but the security operatives escaped with the suspected drug baron.
“It happened in the early hours of Tuesday at Awolowo road, Ikoyi, when our men were on a trail of a truckload of a drug consignment being smuggled into the country,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.
“In the process of intercepting the truck, some suspected fake security agents, who were obviously escorting the consignment emerged.”
“At that point, our officers had flagged down the vehicle and the truck driver refused to stop. They (NDLEA officers) overtook it and blocked it from moving further and that was the point these suspected fake security agents emerged and ordered the driver of the truck to overrun our men and their vehicles.”
“Indeed the truck driver attempted to do that. The operational vehicle of men was badly damaged and then in the process, these suspected fake security agents started shooting. Their shooting attracted soldiers from a military hospital nearby who came and immediately reinforced our men.”
“Shortly before that, our men had also called for reinforcement from other teams, when they saw the reinforcement from our men with the support of the soldiers, these suspected fake security agents took the drug suspect in their own vehicle and fled the scene, and we secured the truck, drug consignment and moved them to our office.”
