NDLEA confirms burning down of office by suspected hoodlums in Edo

Benin, Oct. 21, 2020

The office of the Edo Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Benin, was on Wednesday set on fire by suspected hoodlums who have hijacked the #endSARS protest in the state.

Mr Buba Wakawa, state Commander of the Agency who confirmed the development said the entire office was razed to dust by fire.

Wakawa said that some awaiting trial suspects were set free by the suspected hoodlums, while the hoodlums also made away with seized cannabis and other illicit drugs as much as they could.

He explained that impounded vehicles were also burnt, adding that personnel of the agency had to escape for their lives through the back.

He also explained that the hoodlums had, since Monday after destroying and setting ablaze other government facilities in the area, been attempting to carry out the dastardly act but were repelled by the personnel of the agency as well as some law abiding youths of the host community, Idogbo, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

He said another attempt was made by the hoodlums on Tuesday again without success, but on Wednesday the suspected hoodlums angered by their earlier confrontations with military personnel finally succeeded.

He also disclosed that in spite of his distress call to sister security agencies as well as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Edo Governor, no help came the way of the agency.

We recall that on Tuesday suspected hoodlums had attacked and invaded the Edo outstation of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), carting away seized contraband and some vehicles.

The hoodlums had a field day looting the warehouse from 3pm till about 8pm because sister security agencies didn’t respond to the distress call of the officer in charge of the outstation.