3 Personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were injured in Edo State during a gun battle with armed hoodlums in Edo State. This was made known on Thursday in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, which stated that the armed hoodlums blocked all roads leading to Opuje community, Owan West LGA of Edo State, in order to prevent NDLEA operatives from accessing their forest warehouses filled with narcotics.
He said, “At least 3 suspects: Omoruan Theopilus, 37; Aigberuan Jacon, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs den.
“The Opuje community is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundred of hectares.
“After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.
“Following credible intelligence that the drug cartels had again stocked their warehouses in the forest to start distribution of the psychoactive substance to various parts of the country ahead of the yuletide season, teams of NDLEA officers were mobilized to enter the Edo forests and block the distribution of the illicit drug by destroying their warehouses.
“Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000 kg of cannabis were first taken down in Ujiogba forest in Esan West LGA last weekend.
“The NDLEA teams, however, came under gunfire attack in the early hours of Monday, December 4, when they approached the Opuje forest after the armed hoodlums had blocked all access roads in the community.
“The NDLEA operatives were able to exit the area after over 2 hours of gunfight with the armed hoodlums.”
The statement revealed that the affected NDLEA operatives were rushed to the hospital for treatment, while the critically injured NDLEA personnel that was shot in the head underwent major surgery on Wednesday, December 6 to remove the bullet in his brain.