NDLEA Nabs ‘Drug Dealer’ Who Caused Death Of Its Officer In Sokoto

The Sokoto State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an alleged notorious drug dealer involved in the killing of an NDLEA officer earlier this year.

The agency arrested the suspect on Thursday in Bagarawa village during a collaborative operation with various security agencies.

The agency’s Commander, Iro Mohammed, revealed to the newsmen that the deceased operative lost his life during a raid at the suspect’s hideout in January.

According to Mohammed, the first arrest of the suspect led to a violent altercation after he raised an alarm, prompting villagers to converge and fatally attack the NDLEA officer while the suspect managed to escape.

Mohammed said, “They raided his hideout in the village and arrested him, but while leaving the village, the suspect raised the alarm. So, our men were surrounded by the villagers who maimed and killed one of our officers with matchets and the suspect escaped.

“This is the problem we are facing. Some of our communities shield drug dealers because of relationship.

“They know what they are doing. They know what they do for a living and how they are spoiling their children but still shield them from arrest.”

Expressing concerns over the challenges faced by the NDLEA, Mohammed decried the protection of drug dealers by members of communities.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA commander announced the arrest of 59 other suspects, including four females, in various drug joints across the state.

“This followed the matching order given by the state governor that security agencies should jointly raid suspected hideouts of criminals. Some of the suspects are dealers while some are users of drugs. After investigation, we will prosecute them while the users, we will rehabilitate,” he said.