In what can only be described as a brazen and calculated assault, three operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are currently hospitalized following a violent ambush during a drug raid in Abuja’s Jahi district.
The Thursday night operation, which initially yielded a significant drug haul, took a brutal turn as armed assailants opened fire on the team while they attempted to exit the scene.
According to official reports from the NDLEA, the raid followed actionable intelligence and days of surveillance on an uncompleted structure located near the NNPC area of Jahi.
There, officers uncovered a disturbing cache: 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grams of high-dose tramadol (225mg), nearly 5 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, and five android phones suspected to belong to individuals linked to the trafficking network.
The mission’s success, however, was violently disrupted.
As the operatives departed the location with the recovered evidence, they came under sudden gunfire from unknown attackers.
In the ensuing chaos, three NDLEA officers sustained gunshot wounds, one to the rib, another to the back, and the third to the leg.
The precision and brazenness of the attack suggest the attackers were not mere bystanders but individuals with a vested interest in thwarting the Agency’s enforcement efforts.
The injured personnel were initially rushed to the Police Clinic in Garki, where they were stabilized before being transferred to the National Hospital for advanced care.
Their current condition remains stable, though their injuries are considered serious.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), who was in Kano at the time for official engagements, was quick to respond.
He extended his gratitude to the medical teams at both the Police Clinic and the National Hospital.
According to a statement issued by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Marwa personally contacted the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital to ensure optimal care for the wounded officers.
Marwa’s call with the injured officers offered not just moral support but a firm assurance: justice will be served.
The NDLEA, he emphasized, will leave no stone unturned in identifying and apprehending those behind the cowardly attack. Collaborations with sister security agencies are already underway.
This incident lays bare a sobering reality: the war on drugs in Nigeria is not without real and present danger. It is a war fought not only with evidence and indictments but with bullets, blood, and resilience.
The attack in Jahi is a stark reminder that drug trafficking syndicates are evolving in sophistication and ruthlessness. Yet, it also highlights the unwavering courage of those on the front lines.
As investigations progress, the nation watches, not only for justice to be delivered, but for the security of those who risk their lives daily to keep our streets safe from the scourge of narcotics.
The events of April 18 mark a grim chapter, but also a rallying call: that in the fight against drug crime, the stakes are high, and the cost, sometimes, is paid in blood.
