In a brazen attack, three officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been hospitalized after sustaining gunshot wounds during a raid in the Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The incident, which occurred on Thursday night, has prompted a swift response from the agency's leadership, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

According to a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Friday, the attack took place as a team of NDLEA operatives was concluding a raid on an uncompleted building in the NNPC area of Jahi. The raid was conducted based on credible intelligence and surveillance reports indicating the presence of illicit drugs at the location.

During the operation, the NDLEA team successfully recovered a significant quantity of controlled substances, including 74 bottles of codeine, 10 liters of codeine syrup, 48 grams of tramadol 225mg, 4.9 kilograms of skunk (a strain of cannabis), and five Android phones. However, as the team was exiting the location, they were ambushed by armed assailants who opened fire.

Tragically, three NDLEA personnel sustained gunshot injuries in the attack. One officer was hit in the rib, while the other two sustained wounds to their back and leg. The injured officers were immediately stabilized at the Police Clinic in Garki Area 1 before being transferred to the National Hospital in Abuja for further medical treatment.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has expressed his outrage at the attack and commended the bravery and dedication of the injured officers. He also extended his gratitude to the staff of the Police Clinic for their prompt and efficient support in providing initial medical care to the wounded personnel.

In addition, Brig Gen Marwa personally contacted the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital to oversee the treatment of the injured officers, demonstrating the agency's commitment to their well-being. Despite being on official duty in Kano, the NDLEA boss spoke with the injured officers by phone to wish them a speedy recovery and assure them of the agency's unwavering support.

Brig Gen Marwa has vowed to deploy all available resources and work in close collaboration with other security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack. He emphasized that the agency will not be deterred by such acts of violence and will continue to pursue its mission of combating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.

The NDLEA has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of its personnel as they carry out their duties. The agency has also called on members of the public to provide any information that may assist in the investigation of the attack and the apprehension of the perpetrators.