The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a stern warning to the Oduma community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, demanding the return of a pistol stolen from its operatives during a recent operation.
READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
The agency has threatened legal action if the weapon is not returned within seven days.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 28, when NDLEA officers were attacked by irate youths from the community while attempting to arrest suspected drug peddlers.
According to a statement released by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Obah, four NDLEA personnel were critically injured in the attack, and their operational vehicle was vandalized.
The NDLEA claims that the youths, believed to be accomplices of the drug peddlers, overpowered the officers, stole a pistol, freed two suspects, and seized evidence.
The attackers reportedly blocked the bridge leading to the community, preventing the officers from leaving until a backup tactical team arrived, causing the youths to flee.
In response, the Youth President of Oduma, Joshua Inebika-Emi, disputed the NDLEA’s account, asserting that the youths only intervened to understand why the arrests were made without informing community leaders.
He claimed that four youths were injured and taken to a hospital in Yenagoa, where they were denied access to their families.
Inebika-Emi emphasized that the community has long opposed drug dealing, labeling it “unprofessional and barbaric,” and called on the state government to mediate the situation to prevent further escalation.
However, the NDLEA has refuted these claims, describing them as “false and malicious.” The agency insists that the community harbored criminals who violently resisted the arrest of the drug dealers.
The Bayelsa State NDLEA Commander, Kanu Chukwuemeka, has called on the community’s leadership to return the stolen pistol, along with the two freed suspects and the recovered exhibits, or face legal consequences.
The NDLEA also revealed that the two arrested suspects, Daniel Sokoh and Samson Sokoh, are receiving treatment in the same hospital as the injured officers.
The agency remains resolute in its fight against drug-related crimes and is determined to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
