Gunmen shoot NDLEA officers and soldiers and rescue Baron de Lagos
About 20 suspected gunmen ambushed National Drug Law Enforcement officers on Tuesday who were tracking a drug lord from the Agege region of the Lagos mainland .
Officers were attempting to intercept a truck carrying unknown quantities of Canadian Loud on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State at around 1am when they came under a hail of gunfire, but the attackers were repelled with the help of some soldiers.
However, the thugs escaped with the Baron who had been on the drug agency's watch list for some time.
The incident comes against the backdrop of the arrests of several drug lords and the crippling of their criminal enterprise, leading to the seizure of huge quantities of narcotics and other illicit drugs.< /p>
Sunday PUNCH reported that the NDLEA recently froze 126 bank accounts belonging to an alleged drug lord, Nsofor Chukwukadibia.
Accounts domiciled in various commercial banks generated cash inflows of 4.3 billion naira and cash outflows of 7.9 billion naira, while more than 50 billion naira generated have transited.
The NDLEA also confiscated 20 mansions belonging to the alleged drug lord located in Lagos, Abuja and the South East.
However, drug traffickers fought hard against the onslaught of the drug enforcement agency by launching attacks on its agents.
Confirming Tuesday's attack in Lagos to The PUNCH, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Babafemi explained that the agency managed to seize a truck of Canadian Loud during the operation.
According to Babafemi, Canadian Loud is a very strong and most expensive variant of cannabis.
He said: "It is usually imported from Canada and shipped via neighboring countries like Ghana and Benin Republic from where cartels attempt to smuggle it into Lagos, such as in this particular case."
Babafemi said: "Agency agents tracked a movement of drugs from the Agege area on the Lagos mainland to the Ikoyi area on Lagos Island at first hours of Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
"Our officers blocked the truck, and in doing so, some suspected bogus security guards who were escorting the truck struggled with our officers, and they ended up escaping with the suspect.< /p>
"But our men were able to recover the truck full of drugs. The gunmen damaged the NDLEA operational vehicle and attempted to demobilize our officers as they damaged the windshield of the vehicle.
"But our agents got the support of some soldiers who were nearby during the attack, and the soldiers supported the efforts of our agents, which enabled our agents to move successfully transported the truck containing the drugs to our office. ”
But the Force's public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, doubted the involvement of police officers in the attack, noting that necessary action would be taken if NDLEA investigations identify the attackers as being policemen.
Adejobi said: "I doubt the veracity of the claim that the attackers were police officers. No reasonable policeman would get involved in drug trafficking or attack NDLEA officers in an operation to arrest a drug lord; instead, the police are supposed to work with the NDLEA to catch the criminals.''
Security expert Chidi Omeje called for the arrest of the attackers, describing them as rogue elements.
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About 20 suspected gunmen ambushed National Drug Law Enforcement officers on Tuesday who were tracking a drug lord from the Agege region of the Lagos mainland .
Officers were attempting to intercept a truck carrying unknown quantities of Canadian Loud on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State at around 1am when they came under a hail of gunfire, but the attackers were repelled with the help of some soldiers.
However, the thugs escaped with the Baron who had been on the drug agency's watch list for some time.
The incident comes against the backdrop of the arrests of several drug lords and the crippling of their criminal enterprise, leading to the seizure of huge quantities of narcotics and other illicit drugs.< /p>
Sunday PUNCH reported that the NDLEA recently froze 126 bank accounts belonging to an alleged drug lord, Nsofor Chukwukadibia.
Accounts domiciled in various commercial banks generated cash inflows of 4.3 billion naira and cash outflows of 7.9 billion naira, while more than 50 billion naira generated have transited.
The NDLEA also confiscated 20 mansions belonging to the alleged drug lord located in Lagos, Abuja and the South East.
However, drug traffickers fought hard against the onslaught of the drug enforcement agency by launching attacks on its agents.
Confirming Tuesday's attack in Lagos to The PUNCH, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Babafemi explained that the agency managed to seize a truck of Canadian Loud during the operation.
According to Babafemi, Canadian Loud is a very strong and most expensive variant of cannabis.
He said: "It is usually imported from Canada and shipped via neighboring countries like Ghana and Benin Republic from where cartels attempt to smuggle it into Lagos, such as in this particular case."
Babafemi said: "Agency agents tracked a movement of drugs from the Agege area on the Lagos mainland to the Ikoyi area on Lagos Island at first hours of Tuesday, January 10, 2023.
"Our officers blocked the truck, and in doing so, some suspected bogus security guards who were escorting the truck struggled with our officers, and they ended up escaping with the suspect.< /p>
"But our men were able to recover the truck full of drugs. The gunmen damaged the NDLEA operational vehicle and attempted to demobilize our officers as they damaged the windshield of the vehicle.
"But our agents got the support of some soldiers who were nearby during the attack, and the soldiers supported the efforts of our agents, which enabled our agents to move successfully transported the truck containing the drugs to our office. ”
But the Force's public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, doubted the involvement of police officers in the attack, noting that necessary action would be taken if NDLEA investigations identify the attackers as being policemen.
Adejobi said: "I doubt the veracity of the claim that the attackers were police officers. No reasonable policeman would get involved in drug trafficking or attack NDLEA officers in an operation to arrest a drug lord; instead, the police are supposed to work with the NDLEA to catch the criminals.''
Security expert Chidi Omeje called for the arrest of the attackers, describing them as rogue elements.
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