As Marwa orders new operational guidelines to protect operatives on duty
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, arrested a notorious drug dealer, Micha Godwin, at Nukai market, along the Jalingo-Wukari road in the Taraba state capital, Jalingo, during which anti-narcotic officers were attacked and at least seven of them were injured, as well as one of their vehicles being damaged.
Despite the attack, the officers were able to apprehend their target after retrieving some illicit narcotics from him and then retreated to transport the wounded to the hospital for treatment.
Following intelligence, operatives stormed the market at around 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8th, to arrest the drug dealer and evacuate illicit substances from his warehouse. Miscreants from the community mobilized soon after Micha’s arrest, attacking officers and vehicles with lethal weapons.
Reinforcement from the state Command of the Agency and other security agencies was able to move in to rescue the operatives from the scene of the attack.
In custody, the drug dealer said “what happened today is bad because this is the second time I have been arrested and brought here but the first arrest was not like this. I don’t know who invited the boys who attacked the NDLEA officers”
Reacting to the incident, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) condemned the attack and directed an immediate switch to new operational guidelines that will make officers and men well-positioned to defend themselves adequately in the course of carrying out their duties. He again warned that henceforth any obstruction or attack on NDLEA operatives in line of duty by suspects or their supporters would receive a commensurate response.
