Three NDLEA Officers Sustain Gunshot Injuries, Hospitalised in Abuja Raid

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Three officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been hospitalised for gunshot injuries sustained after they came under attack from some armed men during a raid operation in the Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Thursday night.

According to a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the incident occurred when a team of NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence and surveillance report raided an uncompleted building at NNPC area of Jahi where 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grammes of tramadol 225mg and 4.9 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, as well as five android phones were recovered.

He said as the NDLEA team made their way out of the location, they came under gun attack, disclosing that three of the NDLEA personnel involved in the raid sustained gunshot injuries: one in the rib and two others on their back and leg.

He said the wounded officers were initially stabilised at the Police Clinic in Garki Area 1 before they were transferred to the National Hospital Abuja for further medical attention.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) has expressed appreciation to the staff of the Police Clinic for their prompt support. He also thanked the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital who was personally reached by him for overseeing the treatment of the wounded officers.

Babafemi said the NDLEA boss who was in Kano on official engagements also spoke on phone with the injured officers to wish them quick recovery, even as he assured them that the agency will deploy every means at its disposal and work in collaboration with other security agencies to fish out those responsible for the attack on them.