Suspected gunmen attacked some National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives who were trailing a drug baron from the Agege area of Lagos.
According to PUNCH, the NDLEA operatives were trying to intercept a truck conveying unknown quantities of Canadian Loud on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State around 1 am on Tuesday when the gunmen numbering about 20 opened fire on them. The attackers were repelled with the assistance of some soldiers.
The gunmen, however, escaped with the drug baron who had been on the watch list of the NDLEA for some time.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Babafemi, who confirmed the attack, said that the agency successfully seized a truck-load of Canadian Loud during the operation, PUNCH reports.
Babafemi explained that Canadian Loud is a very strong and most expensive variant of cannabis.
He said, “It is usually imported from Canada and shipped through neighboring countries like Ghana and Benin Republic from where the cartels try to smuggle them into Lagos as in this particular case.”
The NDLEA spokesman said, “Operatives of the agency trailed a drug movement from the Agege area of Lagos Mainland to the Ikoyi area of Lagos Island in the early hours of Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
“Our operatives blocked the truck and in the process, some suspected fake security agents who were escorting the truck struggled with our operatives, and they eventually escaped with the suspect.
“But our men were able to get the drug-filled truck. The gunmen damaged NDLEA’s operational vehicle and tried to demobilize our operatives as they damaged the windscreen of the vehicle.
“But our operatives got the support of some soldiers who were nearby during the attack, and the soldiers supported the efforts of our operatives, leading our operatives to successfully move the truck containing the drugs to our office.”
But the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi doubted the involvement of police officers in the attack, noting that the necessary steps would be taken if investigations by the NDLEA identified the attackers as police officers.
Adejobi said, “I doubt the veracity of the claim that the attackers were police officers. No reasonable police officer would involve themselves in drug dealing or attack operatives of the NDLEA during an operation to arrest a drug baron; instead, police officers are supposed to work with the NDLEA to nab criminals.’’