…NDLEA said the operation led to the recovery of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, skunk and tramadol.
LAGOS, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested six suspects and confiscated a large haul of illicit drugs during a raid on a notorious drug hub in Ama Hausa, Bonny Island, Rivers State, an operation that claimed the life of one officer.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said the operation, carried out on Friday, February 6, 2026, led to the recovery of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, skunk and tramadol.
The agency explained that Chief Narcotic Agent Sadiq Bako Mujahid sustained fatal head injuries when suspects, allegedly led by gang leader Genesis George Benson, mobilised armed hoodlums to violently resist arrest.
Mujahid was immediately rushed to Bonny Island General Hospital, where he later died from the injuries sustained during the attack.
“An NDLEA officer, Chief Narcotic Agent Sadiq Bako Mujahid, lost his life as a result of severe head injuries after drug dealers mobilised armed hoodlums to attack our operatives during the raid,” the statement said.
Despite the violent resistance, NDLEA operatives succeeded in arresting all six suspects, including Benson, who is believed to have masterminded the attack that led to Mujahid’s death.
The other suspects arrested were identified as ThankGod Okon, Shamsudden Isah, Muhammed Musa, Adamu Muhammed and Muhammed Yusuf.
Reacting to the incident, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the courage and resilience of the operatives.
“I salute the gallantry of our men who refused to be intimidated by these criminal elements. Even after the cowardly attack on Mujahid, they ensured the suspects were overpowered, arrested and their illicit drugs seized. His sacrifice will not be in vain,” Marwa said.
He also described the slain officer as “a disciplined and courageous operative who paid the supreme price in the service of his fatherland,” while extending condolences to his family, colleagues and the Rivers State Command.
Marwa warned that attacks on NDLEA personnel would be treated as attacks on the state, stressing that the agency remains resolute in its determination to dismantle drug networks across the country and bring perpetrators to justice.
