Date: 2015-04-28

For Olatunji Hanafi and Abdullateef Akebiore of Eleku compound, Agbarere Quarters of Ilorin afflicted by last Saturday’s violence, life would have to start afresh.

The duo were working with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with a primary objective of purging the society of hard drug peddlers, cannabis and India hemp smokers whose numbers seem to be on higher side every day.

Some spots in Ilorin had been marked for their notoriety where suspected drug dealers engage in transaction of different harmful drugs depending on the preference of prospective users.

Although operatives of the NDLEA had burst the notorious spots in the past all in the bid to curb selling and consumption of hard drugs knowing fully well that users of the dangerous substances are potential threats to the well being of the people.

Like in the past, efforts to address the teething problem were intensified last Friday by the operatives of the agency, which led to the combing of smokers’ hideout around Idi-Ape, Ita-Ajia and Film House in Ilorin. The raid allegedly resulted in the death of one of the suspects when the NDLEA men engaged them in a shootout.

The ugly scenario, like an episodic movie, was re-enacted on Saturday and the end result was death of three persons though Police confirmed two and destruction of valuable property and assets. In the catalogue of items destroyed were residential buildings, expensive cars, motorcycles and animals. The hoodlums that wreaked the havoc at Agbarere quarters took the advantage to loot shops and homes of people around.

A notorious thug, simply identified as Ariyo from Idi-Ape in company with his accomplices laid siege on the Agbarere family residences of the two officials of the NDLEA who were part of the operatives that raided the deadly spots.

In the ensuing fracas, guns and machetes-wielding thugs allegedly from Idi-Ape went on shooting spree with destruction of any valuable property at sight.

The destruction lasted for several hours before armed security men came in, engaging the rampaging hoodlums in gun duel.

It was learnt that the ring leader, who had since gone into hiding, has been placed on a wanted list by the Police.

The havoc was unimaginable as it would take longer time before the victims of the public disturbance could recoup the loss. For instance, the two men of the NDLEA have their family houses and other neighbours completely razed by the thugs who allegedly used petrol and other dangerous objects to render them homeless.

All efforts to see the men of the anti-drug agency severely affected by the destruction proved abortive as they were said to have been kept in an undisclosed secret location for security reasons.

In a chat with our reporter, a family of the victims, Mr Abdulsalam Abdulrahaman, described the destruction as awful.

He said if NDLEA men who went on a lawful duty to arrest smokers of dangerous substances could be brazenly attacked, no one was immuned from what might follow later.

Abdulrahaman, who alleged that he saw the ring leader wielding two guns during the fracas, said justice must be done.

“There is one of my brothers working with NDLEA. And I was told that the NDLEA officers raided those people that used to smoke at Idi-Ape, and later people from Idi-Ape carried guns down to this place (Agbarere) and burnt houses. We called the police more than four hours, no police man came to this place until when Commissioner of Police came around 4pm. And after his departure, they (hoodlums) still came back again around 5:30pm. They came three times and that is when they started burning machines.

“The last time they came, they didn’t follow the main road because they are very familiar with this area. We even have a brother, he is a colonel now, we called him, he in turn called them at Sobi and they said they cannot release any soldier for us because they have not received directive from the above”, he said.

Also speaking, one of the victims whose car was badly damaged urged security agencies to do a thorough probe into the attacks and ensure that perpetrators did not go unpunished.

He said it was unfortunate that some miscreants have continued to threaten the peaceful co-existence of innocent people while security operatives appeared helpless in bringing them to justice.

He noted that the destruction carried out by the arsonists also rendered several people homeless..