‘Hoodlums attack NAFDAC officials’ during raid at Abuja motor park

Suspected hoodlums on Monday attacked some officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) during a raid in Abuja.

The attack took place at the Area 1 motor park when the hoodlums confronted the  NAFDAC officers, including mobile policemen who were on enforcement duty.

NAN reports that one of the agency’s vehicles was damaged during the attack.

Umar-Ahmed Suleiman, a NAFDAC assistant chief regulatory officer, said the raid followed an intelligence received by the agency about the sales of substandard drugs at the park.

“This exercise that we just conducted today at Area 1 motor park is as a result of intelligence report received from DSS in 2023, although we have done some part of it then, we are trying to conclude the operation,” NAN quoted Suleiman as saying.

“You can see a lot of drug hawkers relaxed selling their products and people patronising them, that was why we raided the place.

“What happened is a normal thing to us in the investigation and enforcement unit of NAFDAC.

“That is why anytime we are going, we go with our armed mobile police officers, and investigative police officers in case of any arrest.

“On our arrival here today, we swung into action but to my surprise, we have not even done half of the work, when the drug hawkers all absconded, not knowing that they were re-enforcing against NAFDAC.

“They came back in full force, attacking us, you can see our vehicle how they broke the glass, throwing stones on us.

“Thank God for the gunshot and teargas released on them and we had to leave the scene.”

Suleiman said in spite of the attack, the enforcement team was able to seize some controlled drugs, including rohypnol, dizapam, tramadol 500mg, tramadol 225mg, cocodamol and a lot of afrodisiac with some codeine syrups.

He said the value of the drug seized is more than N5 million.

“Area 1 motor park is a troublesome area for substandard drug sales and the enforcement unit will be going back there to complete the operation,” he said.