Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Cross River State have been accused of assaulting Prince Alobi, a journalist with Radio Nigeria’s Canaan City FM 99.5 in Calabar.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday afternoon along Lemna Road, around Parliamentary Extension near Northwest Filling Station. Alobi said the incident happened at about 3 p.m. after he heard gunshots and decided to investigate, having informed his station that he was going to cover the development.
According to the journalist, he was attacked shortly after arriving at the scene. He alleged that an NDLEA operative slapped him, causing him to lose consciousness, despite identifying himself as a member of the press.
“I was screaming, ‘I am a press man,’ but the beating continued. I was bundled and thrown into the trunk of their Hilux, while they collected my iPhones and smashed them both,” Alobi recounted.
The journalist said the alleged assault left him with severe bodily pain, particularly around his ribs. He added that the destruction of his phones disrupted his professional activities and called for accountability over the incident.
However, the Officer-in-Charge of the NDLEA Dragon Squad in Cross River State, Assistant Commander of Narcotics Kabiru Abdullahi, offered a different account of the incident. He said the operatives were attacked by a mob while conducting a motorised stop-and-search patrol aimed at apprehending suspected drug dealers.
Abdullahi explained that the team intercepted a motorcycle carrying a man and two women, during which a whitish substance suspected to be methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, was allegedly recovered from their belongings.
He further alleged that three other men arrived at the scene and incited members of the public against the operatives after the initial suspects resisted the search. According to him, the situation escalated as the crowd attacked the officers with sticks, stones and pieces of wood, while attempting to free the suspects.
The NDLEA official said some personnel sustained injuries during the confrontation, adding that one officer was taken to hospital after being hit with stones. He also claimed that the suspects initially intercepted escaped amid the violence, while three individuals allegedly involved in instigating the attack were subsequently arrested.
Abdullahi added that the agency recovered two grammes of a substance suspected to be methamphetamine and one gramme of a substance suspected to be synthetic cannabinoid, popularly known as Colorado, as exhibits.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA Cross River Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sebastian Lebo, acknowledged the incident when contacted. He said the command was taking steps to address the matter and assured that Alobi would be compensated for the alleged assault, with his damaged phones to be replaced.
Lebo also disclosed that the command would issue an official statement on the incident. The circumstances surrounding the journalist’s allegations and the agency’s account of the confrontation have drawn attention to the need for accountability and the protection of journalists carrying out their professional duties.