National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Warns Oduma Community to Return Stolen Pistol
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a stern warning to the Oduma community in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to return a stolen pistol belonging to the agency within seven days or face legal consequences.
According to a statement by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Daniel Obah, the operatives of the NDLEA were attempting to arrest drug peddlers in the community on Wednesday when they were assaulted by angry youths, resulting in four operatives being critically injured. The operational vehicle of the state’s NDLEA command was also vandalised by the youths, who are suspected to be accomplices of the drug peddlers.
On Thursday, Obah explained that the youths of the community tried to resist the arrest, which led to the clash and vandalism of the operational vehicle. The community’s Youth President, Joshua Inebika-emi, claimed that the youths only wanted to understand why the accused were arrested without notifying the community leaders.
However, in its response on Friday, the anti-narcotics agency condemned and described as false and malicious the claims made by the youth leader. The statement read in part that suspected drug dealers and criminals in the community attacked NDLEA officers after they had successfully arrested a suspected drug dealer and his sales assistant, and were attempting to leave.
The NDLEA also alleged that the irate indigenes of the Oduma community blocked the bridge to the community, overpowered the advance team of officers, seized a pistol, freed the two suspects, took the recovered exhibits, and vandalised the restoration taxi with registration number BYS 060 TR.
The agency further stated that the State Commander of the NDLEA, Bayelsa State, Kanu Chukwuemeka, is using this opportunity to call on the paramount ruler and the entire leadership of the community to produce, within seven days, the pistol taken from the officers, the two male suspects arrested, and the recovered exhibits, or be prepared to face legal action.
The NDLEA noted that those under arrest, Daniel Sokoh and Samson Sokoh, are receiving treatment in the same hospital where its officers are being treated. The agency called on all well-meaning individuals in society to join efforts to combat drug abuse and addiction.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking and the need for communities to cooperate with them in their efforts to rid society of this menace.