NDLEA OFFICER LOSES LIFE IN DELTA RIVER WHILE PURSUING DRUG SUSPECT
An unidentified operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reportedly drowned while pursuing a suspected drug offender into the Ethiope River at Obiaruku, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.
The incident occurred on Saturday and was captured in a widely circulating social media video.
According to reports, the NDLEA team was attempting to apprehend a group of suspected drug offenders near the Ethiope River Bridge when one of the suspects suddenly jumped into the river to escape.
In a bid to secure the arrest, the officers dove into the river after the fleeing suspect.
While one operative was successfully rescued and rushed to a hospital for medical attention, his colleague tragically drowned in the process.
The suspects ultimately used the waterway to escape custody.Following the incident, the deceased officer’s body was recovered from the river. Local community sources noted that traditional rites required for drowning incidents in the area which reportedly included the provision of a goat were performed before the remains were released to the relevant authorities.
At the time of reporting, the NDLEA had not issued an official comment, and the identities of the involved officers and suspects remain unverified.
This tragedy echoes a similar event from August 2016, when an NDLEA officer attached to the Borno State Command drowned under comparable circumstances.
During that operation in the Gwange area of Maiduguri, four officers dove into the Gwange River to chase a notorious drug baron.
The then-NDLEA Commandant in Borno, Ona Ogilegwu, later confirmed to journalists that the officers met with a water mishap because they did not know how to swim.
While three of the survivors were successfully treated and discharged from the hospital, one officer passed away after failed resuscitation attempts.Would you like me to adjust this rewrite for a specific news format (such as a breaking news flash or a formal press release) or adapt the tone to be more analytical?
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