…Marwa Orders New Operational Guidelines to Protect Operatives
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, continued with their relentless campaign against the drug scourge on Wednesday and nabbed a top drug dealer in Taraba State identified as Micha Godwin.
The Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Mr Femi Babafemi, described Godwin a notorious drug dealer in Jalingo, the state capital.
But the breakthrough of the Agency in apprehending the drug baron did not come without a price as seven of the operatives who went for the assignment were injured by hoodlums and one of the operational vehicles damaged.
Babafemi said that the operatives put up efforts to arrest the kingpin and evacuated the substances in his warehouse while the injured were taken to the hospital.
“Soon after the arrest of Micha, miscreants mobilised from the community to attack the officers and vehicles with dangerous weapons.
“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.” Babafemi said
However the statement quoted the arrested kingpin as having said that he did not know who mobilized the thugs to attack the operatives.
“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.” He was quoted as having said.
The statement also quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) as having “condemned the attack and directed immediate switch to a new operational guidelines that will make officers and men well positioned to defend themselves adequately in the course of carrying out their duties.”
Marwa “again warned that henceforth any obstruction or attack on NDLEA operatives in line of duty by suspects or their supporters would receive commensurate response.”