An officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Aliyu Imran (ASN), was brutally murdered on Friday while on duty in Gadan-Gayan, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

SaharaReporters learnt that Aliyu, an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotic 1, was burned to death by the residents last Friday following an accident involving a vehicle that was being pursued by NDLEA officials.

SaharaReporters learnt that the officer and his colleagues were pursuing a suspected drug dealer when the suspect, in an attempt to escape, reversed his vehicle, killing at least three people on the spot.

One source reported that three people were killed in the accident, while another source claimed that four people died.

However, as tensions escalated, Aliyu reportedly attempted to calm the situation but was instead attacked by an enraged mob.

An NDLEA source told SaharaReporters on Sunday that Aliyu was stabbed while the Officer in Charge (OC) called for backup.

However, his colleagues fled the scene, leaving him behind.

The source said a brave police officer rushed him to a nearby hospital, but the mob later stormed the facility, dragged him out and set him on fire.

His grieving family has accused the NDLEA of failing to issue a statement or reach out to them for condolences or compensation.

The source said, “It happened that on Friday some NDLEA officers went for an operation at Gadan-Gayan. They are covering it up. This is our agency. Do you know what they normally do? If accidents like this happen and an officer is in involved or an officer loses his life, instead of them to compensate the family, the NDLEA will try to cover it up so that they will not give the deceased family the compensation.

“Some officers were on patrol and suspect reversed and started driving away from the officers on patrol.

“So the officers took their own car and followed the car that was trying to get away from them. So in that process, the car they were chasing had an accident, and killed four people died.

“So when our officers reached there, one of them Aliyu Imran came down to try and calm the situation. Then people started to attack him. Even me, I’ve been involved in that kind of situation before.

“Normally, the moment you see the place is starting to get tense, you leave immediately.

“So when he came down to try to calm the situation down, the OC (Officer-in-Charge), the person that led the operation, started saying, okay. You guys should inbox. Like, let’s go. When you say inbox, it means you should enter car – let’s leave.”

“So, in the process, they left Aliyu Imran in that place. So those guys, they stabbed him. After stabbing him, one police officer there took him on his bike to one hospital close to that place for treatment,” the source said.

He said the mob followed the policemen to the hospital, dragged out the NDLEA officer and burnt him alive.

He continued, “Do you know what’s heartbreaking? He just got married last December.  His wife fainted as they were burying him yesterday (Saturday).

“Aliyu had stepped out of the vehicle to calm the situation, but the crowd turned hostile. I understand how these things escalate—I’ve been in similar mob situations during operations. Once tensions rise, the best thing to do is leave immediately.

“In the chaos, they left Aliyu Imran behind. The mob attacked him, stabbing him repeatedly.

“A police officer tried to save him by taking him to a nearby hospital on his bike. But the same mob stormed the hospital, dragged Aliyu out, and burned him alive while he was still clinging to life.

“The agency has done nothing for his family. They haven’t even addressed the incident officially. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and NDLEA has covered it up before.”

According to the source, this is not the first officer to die in the line of duty. When such incidents occur, the news is often suppressed, and the family receives only a meager payout.

“For example, when an EFCC officer died, it was all over the internet. They even named a block after him. But in NDLEA, we don’t get such recognition. Even our salaries are terrible, but people don’t know about it,” he added.

“They were on a patrol at an intersection when a car passed them and refused to stop. They pursued the car and the driver crashed in a village and killed three people,” another colleague of the deceased told SaharaReporters.

“So when they got to the village, the villagers attacked them and Aliyu was rushed to the hospital. However, they went to the hospital and brought him out, that was when they set him on fire.

“They refused to release his remains until his brother who is serving in the military invaded the village with his colleagues.”

Another colleague of the deceased confirmed the killing of the NDLEA officer, saying, “It happened here at NDLEA Kaduna command. To think he just got married two weeks ago to his beautiful wife.”

When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, he confirmed that the chairman of the agency is personally in touch with the family of the late officer.

When SaharaReporters asked about allegations that the agency had abandoned the deceased’s family, he said, “I’m reviewing your message now. However, this is not exactly what happened. I can confirm that the chairman of the agency is personally in touch with the family of the late officer.

“As I speak with you, a delegation from the headquarters—led by the agency’s director of operations and general investigations—is already in Kaduna to meet with the family. Additionally, another commander had earlier been dispatched by the chairman. So, there’s no truth to the claim that the family has been abandoned.

“To further demonstrate how seriously the agency is taking this matter, the management has suspended the commander involved. Do you understand?”

“This is an ongoing investigation. The matter is being thoroughly looked into, and the agency remains in close contact with the family. We are working diligently to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he added.

Credit: SaharaReporters