The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Buba Marwa, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of a gallant officer during a high-risk operation in Bonny Island, Rivers State, even as operatives arrested six suspected drug traffickers and recovered a large cache of illicit drugs.
NDLEA operatives stormed a notorious drug enclave known as Ama Hausa in Bonny Island on Friday, 6 February 2026, arresting six suspects and seizing quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, skunk, and tramadol. The operation, however, turned tragic when suspected drug dealers violently resisted arrest.
In a press statement, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that a personnel of the agency, Chief Narcotic Agent Sadiq Bako Mujahid, lost his life after sustaining severe head injuries during the raid.
According to the statement, the prime suspect and alleged gang leader, Genesis George Benson, mobilised armed hoodlums to attack NDLEA operatives in a bid to evade arrest. During the ensuing confrontation, Mujahid was critically injured. He was rushed to Bonny Island General Hospital for emergency treatment but later succumbed to his injuries.
Despite the deadly assault, NDLEA operatives overpowered the attackers and successfully arrested all six targets of the operation. Other suspects apprehended include ThankGod Okon, Shamsudden Isah, Muhammed Musa, Adamu Muhammed, and Muhammed Yusuf.
Reacting to the incident, Marwa commended the courage and resilience of the officers involved in the operation, describing their conduct as exemplary in the face of grave danger.
“I salute the gallantry of our men who refused to be intimidated by these criminal elements. Even after the cowardly attack on Mujahid, our operatives ensured that the assailants were overpowered, arrested, and their illicit drugs confiscated. Their sacrifice will not be in vain,” he said.
While mourning the fallen officer, the NDLEA boss described Mujahid as a disciplined and courageous officer who paid the ultimate price in service to the nation.
“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, his colleagues, and the NDLEA Rivers State Command,” Marwa added.
He issued a stern warning to criminal elements, stressing that attacks on NDLEA personnel would attract severe consequences.
“Any attack on our officers is an attack on the state, and it will not go without dire consequences. We remain undeterred in our mission to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs and will continue to take the fight to the enclaves of these merchants of death,” Marwa warned.
The suspects are currently in custody as investigations continue, while the NDLEA has assured the public of its resolve to sustain the offensive against drug trafficking networks across the country.
