Many injured as hoodlums attack NDLEA officials during raid

Etim Ekpimah

Many people were shot when hoodlums attacked officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during raid on the gangsters selling and buying cannabis in the Ijegun area of Lagos State on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses, who said the incident happened around Ijegun junction, explained that the hoodlums trooped out in their number and began to attack the officials of the agency with bottles, iron, stones, daggers, and cutlasses.

According to them, as the officials of the NDLEA tried to escape without causing harm, the hoodlums surged in and attacked them in every direction, leaving the officials with no option but to open fire in the air.

One of the eyewitnesses, who simply identified himself as Alfa, said when the hoodlums noticed that the officials were shooting in the air to scare them and then escape, the hoodlums became fiercer in attacking the NDLEA officials.

Alfa added that it was at that instance that the NDLEA officials began to shoot continuously at the people regardless of whether they were criminals or not.

“Apart from one of the NDLEA officials, who was severely wounded, the bullets hit many innocent Nigerians, who were in their business places.

“People were busy carrying those who were shot to different hospitals on Saturday for treatment.

“There is one Ibo man in our area; the bullet pierced through one of his arms, abdomen, and came out at his buttock.

“He is in critical condition; everybody here is praying that nothing should happen to him,” he said.

Alfa added that the police later came but when they noticed the fury within the scene of the incident, they retreated in order not to be involved in the skirmish.

A resident of the area, who authorised only the use of her first name, Funke, said the situation was horrible and compared only to war films.

She told our correspondent that the bullets were just flying everywhere, noting that her safety and those of her apprentices was due to God’s grace.

She said: “I cannot tell exactly how it happened. What I noticed was the area boys hurling stones, bottles, sticks, even knives at the NDLEA officials. There was confusion when the NDLEA people began to shoot people.

“I know many people will die from what happened yesterday. It was later, I saw many people taking those who were hit by the bullets to different hospitals. I’m not sure any of the hoodlums was injured or killed in the process.”

The National Public Relations Officer of the agency, Jonah Achama, did not answer the call when our correspondent contacted him.

He did not also respond to text message which was sent into his telephone.