The Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and their accompanying mobile police were assaulted by enraged drug hawkers and touts in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Monday.
The enforcement team was conducting a raid to curb the distribution of fake, unregistered, and counterfeit drugs at the Area One motor park in the FCT when the attack occurred. As the operation unfolded, the hawkers and touts at the park pelted the team and journalists with stones and other hazardous objects.
The intervention of the mobile police, deploying tear gas and firing warning shots, was necessary to disperse the attackers, enabling the enforcement team and journalists to escape from the volatile scene. Regrettably, two NAFDAC vehicles were vandalized during the confrontation.
Speaking with journalists after the incident, Umar Suleiman, the Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer of the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Federal Task Force, NAFDAC, explained that the raid was prompted by intelligence received from the Department of State Security regarding the illicit activities of drug hawkers at the motor park.
Suleiman expressed dismay at the swift mobilization and aggressive response from the drug hawkers. He emphasized the routine preparedness of the investigation and enforcement department, which always collaborates with armed Mobile Police and Investigating Police Officers for security during raids.
Despite the disruption, Suleiman revealed that the seized drugs during the raid were estimated to be worth about N5 million. The confiscated items included controlled drugs such as Rohypnol, Dizapam, Tramadol (500mg and 225mg), Cocodamol, and aphrodisiac, among others. Suleiman noted that this enforcement operation aimed to address the rampant illegal drug trade in the motor park, ensuring public safety.
