No fewer than four persons were reportedly injured while many business owners scampered for safety following a clash between operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and some members of National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osogbo, Osun State.
It was gathered that officials of the NDLEA were reported to have engaged the NURTW members, Oroki branch in a gun duel during a clamp down on a vehicle suspected to convey cannabis.
It was learnt that the officials of the anti-narcotic agency were trying to arrest and seize hard drugs conveyed by the driver when the incident occurred.
Confirming the incident, Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, said the NDLEA officials were attacked while doing their legitimate duty.
He said: “From preliminary report I got, our men had intelligence that a vehicle was bringing in substance suspected to be hard drugs to Osogbo today.
“They followed the vehicle to a particular garage to see who the consignment would be delivered to.
“So at the point they tracked the vehicle to the garage and confirmed the consignment and arrested the driver of the vehicle, then they raised the alarm and the miscreants in the garage came out with bottles, cutlasses and guns to engage our men and our command called for reinforcement which was a provided.
“I think four of the miscreant were injured and they have been taken to the hospital.
When contacted, Chairman of the unit, Oyewale Kazeem said though he was not at the park at the time but it was reported to him that NDLEA suspected a bus driver that he was transporting substance suspected to be indian hemp to the park.
His words, “When they got to the park, in an attempt to arrest the said driver, they were shooting sporadically around the park which led to four persons being injured.
“The situation angered the boys in the park and they tried to resist the NDLEA officers to limit number of people that will sustain gunshot wounds”.
