Armed thugs injure 3 NDLEA operatives during gun battle in Edo forest

Armed thugs injure 3 NDLEA operatives during gun battle in Edo forest

Three personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been injured during a gun battle with armed thugs at a forest in Edo State.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying armed hoodlums blocked all roads at Opuje community, in the Owan West Local Government Area (LGA) 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.

According to the statement, “Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000kgs 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 4th December 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 gun fight with the armed hoodlums.

“Unfortunately, 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 6th December to remove the bullets in his brain,” Babafemi said.

Reacting to the attack, NDLEA Chairman, 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.

He commended the professional conduct of the officers involved in the operation, saying the incident will not in any way deter the agency from continuing its ongoing offensive action against drug barons and cartels.