One dies as NDLEA operatives, youths clash in Bayelsa

A youth identified as Moses Akanda was killed in Bayelsa State on Wednesday.

The incident happened at the Yenizue-Epie community in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

The victim was said to have been shot dead during confusion triggered by the presence of armed operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, who stormed the area to arrest one Rebecca, a suspected drug dealer.

Residents of the area said that men of the NDLEA allegedly shot indiscriminately to ward off possible resistance to the arrest of the female suspect, thereby allegedly causing confusion.

The incident was said to have agitated youths of Yenizue-Epie who reportedly became violent, but relative peace was restored by the intervention of the security agencies that arrived at the scene.

The community youth leadership accused men of the NDLEA of shooting at some community members during the confusion and allegedly killed Akanda in the process.

President of Yenizue-Epie community youths, Martins Obiriwonsi, while insisting that the deceased “was not known to be a consumer of drugs or a cultist,” demanded justice for him.

However, the State Command of NDLEA claimed that its officers who went to apprehend Rebecca were attacked by those it described as “cult groups and youths of Yenizue-Epie Community.”

A statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DNS Daniel Obah, on Thursday, read, “Yesterday 20th March 2024 at about 1900hrs, officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Bayelsa State Command, upon proper surveillance carried out and pre-purchase of cannabis sativa and crack cocaine made on the 15th of March, 2024, identified a notorious female drug dealer that goes by the name Rebecca at Yenizue-Epie.

“In the course of trying to effect her arrest, the officers were attacked by cult groups and youths of that community seized drug exhibits recovered and freed the said Rebecca. They were throwing bottles, stones and improvised explosive devices leading to an exchange of gunshots.

“However, the NDLEA officers were able to arrest one Abraham Aderin ‘m’ 14yrs who sparked the mob leaving the scene with several injuries to the office.

“The same cult groups and youths again in their numbers proceeded to attack the state command HQs, throwing bottles and improvised explosive devices, vandalising vehicles in the office, and dumping the lifeless body of a young man in front of the office.”

The State Commander of the NDLEA, Kanu Chukwuemeka, expressed sadness over the incident and condemned the youth for “aiding and abetting the commission of drug crimes, the bane of our insecurity problems, and obstructing the arrest of a suspect.”

The statement said the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, “pending investigation into the real cause of his death.”

While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the state commander also called for calm as the matter was being looked into.

Three days ago, officials of the NDLEA arrested a 20-year-old hair stylist, Josephine Odunu, and a 30-year-old dispatch rider, Edesemi Ikporo, for selling and distributing illicit drug-laced chin-chin to school students and at social parties in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.