No fewer than seven officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been injured during an attempt to arrest a notorious drug dealer, identified as Micha Godwin, in Taraba State.

One of the NDLEA vehicles was also damaged during the attempt to arrest the suspect at Nukai market, along Jalingo-Wukari road in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

However, despite the attack, the anti-narcotic operatives managed to arrest Godwin after recovering some quantities of illicit drugs from the suspect.

This was disclosed via a statement issued by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.

Babafemi stated: “Following intelligence, the operatives on Tuesday 8th March stormed the market at about 2.30 pm to arrest the drug dealer and evacuate illicit substances in his warehouse. Soon after the arrest of Micha, miscreants mobilised from the community to attack the officers and vehicles with dangerous weapons.

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“A 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 attack.”

He added that the suspect, who has since been in custody, 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, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), condemned the attack and directed immediate switch to new operational guidelines that will make the anti-drug operatives well positioned to defend themselves adequately in the course of carrying out their duties.

He, therefore, warned that henceforth any obstruction or attack on NDLEA operatives in line of duty by suspects or their supporters would receive commensurate response.

The Star