The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, has ordered for an investigation into the alleged clash between his officers and officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the State.
The Commissioner, in a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, in Lokoja, expressed surprise over the alleged incident.
Bethrand, who condemned the incident, stated that the clash was avoidable since both personnel misunderstood themselves.
“It was revealed that the operatives of NDLEA trailed the woman who turned out to be the wife of an Inspector of Police attached to Area Command, Lokoja, to the car where it was parked in front of Bishop Delisle College, opposite the Area Command Office.
“The woman was arrested and taken into the NDLEA vehicle with the intention of taking her away. But one of the police personnel on duty at the gate of the area Command Office challenged the NDLEA officials.
“But unknown to him, the woman was trailed to the car and equally arrested with a package of substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
“Luckily, a senior police officer intervened and brought normalcy while the woman was taken away by the NDLEA operatives without any incident.
“The said police officer (an Inspector) is already in custody. He has been defaulted and orderly room trial has commenced”, the CP said.
The Commissioner reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to sustaining the level of synergy between the police and other sister security agencies in the state for optimum results.
He, however, advised all personnel of the Command, especially the junior ones, to eschew over-zealousness in the course of their duty to avoid such unwanted infraction.
When contacted, the Kogi State NDLEA Commander, Mr Olusegun Adeyeye, confirmed the incident and stated that the said woman and substance were already in the agency’s custody.
“The said suspect and the substance are in our custody. Investigations have commenced to enable the law to take its course”, Adeyeye said.