National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a manhunt for a Lagos-based notorious drug dealer, currently on the run after crushing an officer of the Agency in a bid to escape arrest.
The anti-narcotics Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives on Friday, 18 August 2023, following credible intelligence that the drug dealer, Sowunmi Ayodeji Kayode, was dealing in illicit drugs in his house, located at 2/3 Adetola Ayeni close, Lekki, Lagos, stormed the place for a search and possible arrest.
Sowunmi, who was not in the house when the operatives got into his compound, however, returned while a search of his apartment was ongoing.
In a dramatic twist, as soon as he drove into the premises and sighted NDLEA officers, he engaged his car in reverse gear, knocked down one of the officers, and pulled down his gate before plunging the vehicle into the fence of the opposite compound.
The force of his car’s speed also pulled down the concrete wall of his neighbour’s compound and from there he dived out of the vehicle to escape.
A thorough search of his apartment, however, led to the recovery of 10.5 kilograms of Loud, while the operative who was knocked down suffered multiple injuries all over his body and compound fracture on his two legs, for which he is currently on hospital admission for treatment.
Following the unpleasant development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed the deployment of appropriate operational assets of the Agency to smoke out the wanted suspect from his hiding.
He also approved adequate medical care for the injured officer so that he can get back on his feet as soon as possible, the statement said.
