There was pandemonium at the Ekeki Police Division in Yenagoa as a violent confrontation ensued between the men of the Nigeria Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday.
The confrontation occurred at the Ekeki Police Division when some NDLEA operatives were in the area to arrest a woman suspected to be a drug peddler and had even made an entry in the police records before carrying out their assignment.
However, just as they were going about their operation, the policemen from the Ekeki Police Division obstructed the NDLEA operatives and it resulted in an altercation.
It was gathered that the NDLEA squad had officially recorded their operation in the police register before proceeding to the suspect’s location.
However, as the NDLEA team carried out their assignment, policemen from the Ekeki Division allegedly intervened, obstructing the operation.
This led to a heated altercation between the two security agencies. Several shots were fired which caused panic among residents in the area, an eyewitness told our correspondent on Thursday.
“As I was at the Bayelsa Newspaper Corporation, I heard some shots, about six shots, and I decided to find out. As I got to the Ekeki Police Division, I saw a confrontation between the police and NDLEA operatives,” the eyewitness said.
It was gathered that two operating vehicles of the NDLEA were shot in the process by the police to prevent the agency from taking the suspect away.
The eyewitness further stated that it was as if the police were allegedly providing cover for the drug suspect to carry out her drug business in the vicinity of the police division.
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“The incident has made people suspect that the police are allegedly providing some kind of support for the woman to do drug business in the area,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two vehicles belonging to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) were seen with deflated tyres after being shot at during a confrontation with police officers.
Speaking on the matter, NDLEA spokesman Mr. Howells Obah stated that the operatives followed standard procedures during the operation.
“Our officers carried out a raid near the Ekeki Police Division and properly documented their presence at the station, as required. However, the suspect, reportedly the wife of a police officer, appeared to be under police protection.”
“During the operation, two of our vehicles were shot at, and we are currently working to retrieve them while ensuring the situation does not escalate further,” Obah explained.
Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident, stating that he was on his way to the scene to gather more details.