Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
The people of Oruma Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have accused the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA of carrying out indiscriminate arrest and attack on their community.
It was learnt that the arrest occured on Wednesday 28 of August, 2024 at about 3pm when the NDLEA officials invaded Oruma community to arrest a local who the drug enforcement body alleged to be involved in drug related activities.
According to sources in the community, while they were trying to arrest the accused, the youths resisted and immediately the NDLEA personnel allegedly opened fire, which led four persons in the community sustaining injuries. Those injured are currently receiving treatment in an hospital in Yenagoa, the state capital.
According to information, the NDLEA has allegedly refused to allow anyone from the community to visit the victims in the hospital thereby threatening to arrest anyone from Oruma community who tries to visit.
Youth President of Oruma community in a chat with our correspondent, Mr. Joshua Inebika-emi, said the youths in the community only requested to know why the accused was arrested without any form of notice from the community leaders.
He explained that Oruma community has over the years condemned drug dealers that there is law in the community not allowing anyone to smoke not to talk of hard drugs describing the act as unprofessional and barbaric.
Mr. Inebika-emi called on the state commander NDLEA and the Bayelsa State government to intervene, saying that they would not want to take laws into their hands because Oruma represent peace.
While reacting to the allegations,the State Commander National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bayelsa State Kanu S. Chukwuemeka, has also call on the Paramount ruler and entire leadership of the Oruma community to produce within seven days the Pistol loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm live ammunition they collected from there officers, the two male suspects arrested and the exhibits recoverd from them or be ready to contend with the law.
According to the Commander, the Agency is not at war with any individual or community and can not send out it’s officers to cause chaos or pandemonium in any area.
In a statement signed by the command Public Relations Officer, Daniel Howells Obah said, the report was not only false and malicious, but also misleading and very unfortunate the statement credited to the Youth President of Oruma community, one Joshua Inebika-emi over the attack on NDLEA officers by suspected drug dealers, cultists and indigenes of Oruma community.
“It is quite unfortunate and embarrassing that someone who is supposed to be an advocate of a crime free society and a custodian of social values could be drawn into the antics of drug dealers and crimes who always opposed to peace, law and order”.
“The NDLEA is an elite security agency who is not only ethical, but very professional in their operations based on the Rules of Engagement guiding paramilitary operations in all situation, including this. It is foolhardy to believe that, NDLEA officers will just storm a community and starting shooting sporadically”.
“What Mr. Youth President failed to tell the public is that, on Wednesday 28th August, 2024 suspected drug dealers and criminals taking refuge is his community in there numbers attacked NDLEA officers after the officers had successfully arrested a suspected drug dealer and his sales boy, and were trying to leave”.
“The irate indigenes of Oruma community blocked the bridge to the community, overpowered the advance team of officers, collected a pistol loaded with rounds of 9mm live ammunition, freed the two suspects and seized the exhibits recovered and equally vandalize the Restoration Taxi with Reg. No: BYS 060 TR given to the command by Bayelsa State government”.
“They shot and stabbed the NDLEA officers. It was when they sighted the NDLEA back up Tactical team that they started running away and that saved what could have been more fatal”.
He therefore call on all well meaning individuals in the society to join with the NDLEA in their efforts aimed at stopping the scourge of drug abuse/ addiction in our communities and cities, and equally bringing the merchants of death and criminality ( the drug dealers) to book.
“The Command equally wish to place it on record that Sokoh ‘m’ who also sustained injuries and rushed to the same hospital were the NDLEA officers are being treated, is also being well attended to, but he’s placed under arrest as well as his co assailants Daniel Sokoh ‘m’ and Samson Sokoh ‘m'”.
