At least three operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency or NDLEA are critically injured and one other is undergoing brain surgery after the operatives engaged in a gun duel with suspected drug barons in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
It was a repelled rain of bullets from armed hoodlums who blocked all roads in Opuje community, Owan West LGA of the State to prevent the anti-narcotic operatives from accessing the forest warehouses where tons of processed psychoactive substances were stored for distribution nationwide ahead of the coming Christmas and new year.
This was disclosed on Thursday, by the Director of Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi in Abuja.
This is coming barely 11 months after armed youths recruited by the same 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.
The Opuje community is said to be 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; the NDLEA disclosed.
Femi Babafemi said 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 mobilised 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.
“The NDLEA teams however came under a 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 gunfight 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.”
In his reaction to the attack, 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 who are merchants of death bent on destroying the lives of innocent citizens especially the youths for their comfort across the nook and cranny of the country.