Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Cross River State have been accused of assaulting a Radio Nigeria journalist, Prince Alobi, during an operation along Lemna Road in Calabar on Monday.
Alobi, a broadcaster with Canaan City FM 99.5, said the incident occurred at about 3pm when he left his nearby office to cover an operation at Parliamentary Extension, close to Northwest Filling Station.
He explained that he heard gunshots and informed his station before heading to the scene to report the development.
The journalist alleged that an NDLEA operative slapped him, causing him to lose consciousness, despite identifying himself as a member of the press.
According to him, the operatives allegedly beat him, bundled him into the boot of their Hilux vehicle and damaged his two iPhones.
Alobi said the incident left him with severe pains, particularly around his ribs, and disrupted his work. He called for accountability over the alleged assault.
However, the Officer-in-Charge of the NDLEA Dragon Squad in Cross River State, Assistant Commander of Narcotics Kabiru Abdullahi, gave a different account of the incident.
Abdullahi said the operatives were conducting a motorised stop-and-search patrol when they intercepted a motorcycle carrying a man and two women suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.
He said the officers recovered a whitish substance suspected to be methamphetamine, popularly known as ice, from the suspects’ belongings.
According to him, three other men later arrived and allegedly incited a crowd against the operatives after the initial suspects resisted the search.
Abdullahi claimed that the crowd attacked the officers with sticks, stones and pieces of wood, leaving some personnel injured and attempting to free the suspects.
He added that one officer was taken to the hospital after being stoned, while the initial suspects escaped during the disturbance.
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The NDLEA official said three persons allegedly involved in instigating the attack were subsequently arrested.
He also disclosed that the agency recovered two grammes of suspected methamphetamine and one gramme of a substance suspected to be synthetic cannabinoid, commonly called Colorado.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA Cross River Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sebastian Lebo, acknowledged the incident when contacted.
Lebo said the command was taking steps to address the matter and that Alobi would be compensated, with his damaged phones replaced.
He also promised that the command would issue an official statement on the incident.
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