Unidentified security agents Monday night, opened fire on a team of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on Awolowo road, Lagos, in the former’s bid to forcefully release the driver of a truck loaded with hard drugs.
The armed operatives also shattered the windscreen of one of the operational vehicles of the anti-narcotic agency used to barricade the truck.
But the timely intervention of Military men averted what would have resulted in a blood bath, as the armed operatives escaped with the driver, abandoning the truck.
In his maiden briefing at the NDLEA’s Lagos office in Gbagada, the new Lagos State Commander, Mr Umar Adoro, explained that acting on intelligence, “ We ambushed the truck. We knew when they finished loading and when they started their movement and we chose to accost the truck on Awolowo road, as that would determine whether the drugs were being conveyed to the mainland or offshore.
‘ We waited until midnight before the truck was sighted and we intercepted it. Unfortunately, we were distracted because when the truck driver and the vehicle were intercepted, unidentified security agents appeared and insisted that the truck must be allowed to continue its movement, we said where and they could not tell us.
“There was pandemonium as the security agents started shooting in the air which attracted the Army from the Medical corp. They reinforced our officers before reinforcement came from my office.
“But the unidentified security agency took the driver and escaped with him. But we successfully got the truck. Our officers’ vehicle that was used to barricade the truck was damaged by the truck driver and unidentified security agents”
51 suspects arrested
While commending other security agents for their support to the anti-narcotic agency in the war against drugs, Adoro, who assumed command in December 2022, disclosed that in the month of December 2022 alone, 51 suspects were arrested with the recovery of 7,295.103 Kilograms of various drugs.
Out of the 51 suspects arrested in 10 raids, he said 41 were males while 10 were females. He added that the agency secured 122 convictions, with 117 cases still pending before the Federal High court, last year.
Areas with the highest arrests
He highlighted Akala in Mushin, Agege, Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Epe, Ajah and Festac Town as areas in Lagos with the highest arrest, adding that a suspected drug baron was arrested yesterday morning in the Festac area of Lagos.
The Commander also disclosed that owing to the heat on drug peddlers, dealers had resorted to using dispatch riders to convey drugs to ready buyers across the state.
He threatened that the agency would not spare any pharmacist who dispensed controlled drugs to Nigerians without a prescription or sold to unauthorized persons who have no authority to dispense.
“ When we make such an arrest, we will close the pharmacy, place it under investigation and take the pharmacist to court for a final decision”., he said.
The war against drugs, according to him, was not the exclusive reserve for the NDLEA alone but a responsibility of every Nigerian, he lauded the efforts of the media for their support in the fight.
