The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the recent attack on operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) by a Lagos-based alleged notorious drug dealer, Sowunmi Ayodeji Kayode, now at large, after driving his luxury car to crush an NDLEA officer in his bid to escape arrest when operatives were on a search of his house last weekend.

Reports said that although the suspected drug baron was not in the house when the operatives got into his compound, he however returned while the search of his apartment was ongoing. In a dramatic twist, as soon as he drove into the premises and sighted NDLEA officers, he engaged his car in reverse gear, knocked down one of the officers, pulled down his gate, before plunging his vehicle into the fence of the opposite compound. The force of his car’s speed also pulled down the concrete wall of his neighbours compound and from there, he dived out of the vehicle to escape.

A thorough search of his apartment however led to the recovery of 10.5 kilograms of Loud, Following the unpleasant development, the NDLEA CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), directed the deployment of appropriate operational assets of the Agency to smoke out the wanted suspect from his hiding.

The association wondered why persons suspected to be kingpins of the underworld have upped their sophistication of violent attacks against the operatives of the NDLEA, suggesting that stringent penalties for such audacious crimes to serve as effective deterrent.

The group said that if the drug barons know that their deviant actions of attacking NDLEA operatives have consequences, then they would think twice before embarking on such dangerous actions.

HURIWA while decrying the “unprecedented occupational hazards” faced by operatives of the NDLEA since the Anti-narcotics agency intensified their drive against hard drugs in Nigeria since the incumbent Chairman, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba-Marwa, asserted that the best way Nigerians can help the jobs that the NDLEA, was to support them in whatever way each citizen could, especially by volunteering information on the activities of drug barons and their traffickers so the menace of hard drugs addiction in Nigeria would be effectively curtailed.

The association also encouraged operatives of NDLEA to continue to give their best in the service of motherland, saying that millions of law-abiding Nigerians were with them to enable them to succeed in ridding the Country of hard drugs

HURIWA commended the hierarchy of the NDLEA for providing effective, efficient and result-oriented leadership.

NDLEA, had in a statement, disclosed that its officers had, on Friday, 18th August, stormed the residence of the wanted drug dealer in Lekki, Lagos for a search and possible arrest, following credible intelligence that he was dealing in illicit drugs in his house.

HURIWA condemned the audacity of the suspected drug baron and praised the hierarchy of the NDLEA for always providing prompt life-saving interventions with a view to protecting and promoting the wellbeing, welfare and safety of their operatives.

Update news