Mob Attacks NDLEA Team During Operation in Calabar, 3 Arrested
By Missang AKPET
A routine drug bust turned violent on Monday along Lemna road in Calabar, Cross River State after a crowd attacked operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, while on operation.
Three suspects were later arrested with exhibits including methamphetamine, popularly known as Ice, and synthetic cannabinoids, also known as Colorado.
The Officer in Charge of Dragon Squad, Cross River State NDLEA, Assistant Commander of Narcotics, Kabiru Abdullahi, while speaking with our reporter on Tuesday disclosed that the incident occurred at about 2:00 pm on Monday when he led a team on motorized stop and search patrol around the Lemna area, in Calabar Municipality.
According to him, the team, while conducting stop and search, flagged down a motorcycle conveying three persons, one male and two females and while searching them recovered a whitish substance suspected to be methamphetamine popularly known as ice.
"We identified ourselves to them. And one of the female officers asked for searching of their bags. And they tried to resist but we insisted we must search that bag.
"In the process of searching, a whitish nylon bag was recovered. When we opened it, it is a whitish substance suspected to be methamphetamine," Abdullahi said.
He recounted that trouble started shortly after the recovery when three other persons stormed the scene, shouting and inciting a crowd against the operatives.
He explained that the 3 boys said they will not allow the officers to go with the suspects and started shouting and inciting the crowd of unlookers against the NDLEA officers.
Abdullahi said the crowd mobilized with sticks, stones and wood, assaulting the officers and attempting to free the initial suspects.
"They dragged my driver. They were dragging him and slapping him. One carried a wood,.and gave another officer dirty slaps. Another officer was stoned, that one is in the hospital now".
"Even though we were on uniforms, we identified ourselves, telling them that we were NDLEA officials yet that didn't help. Yesterday, all of us could have been history," he said..
Though the initial suspects escaped as a result of the attack, the Commander hinted that the three persons who instigated the attack were later arrested, while two grammes of methamphetamine popularly called Ice and one gramme of Synthetic Cannabinoid also known as Colos were recovered as exhibits.
