Air Force Personnel Stabs NDLEA Official At Lagos Airport

An official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was on Thursday stabbed by a Nigeria Air Force (NAF) officer over attempt by the latter to force the former to close before the 7pm deadline agreed by stakeholders at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

Trouble allegedly started when the Air Force officer was trying to enforce the 7:00pm close time agreed by stakeholders.

The NAF officers did not wait for 7:00pm, but decided to chase out workers, including agents and NDLEA officials out of the area, a situation which the NDLEA official resisted.

It was gathered that the NDLEA asked the NAF officer to wait till the agreed time before asking him out of the area.

The narcotic officer reminded the NAF officer that as a government security agency personnel, he should not harass him the way clearing agents are harassed.

A source told The Nation that the resistance further infuriated the NAF officer, who questioned the audacity of the NDLEA officer to challenge him.

The source added that it was at that point, the NAF officer slapped the NDLEA officer.

In no time NDLEA officer in turn retaliated, occasioning exchange of punches, where the narcotic officer had the upper hand.

Another witness noted that as the government personnel were exchanging punches, another NAF officer joined in the fray to stab the narcotic officer.

The NDLEA officer, the source said fell, bleeding profusely while others engaged in a free for all.

The source explained that as bystanders started shouting that the NDLEA officer might die if not given medical attention, he was consequently taken to hospital.

Contacted, the spokesman for NDLEA, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju confirmed the incident, but claimed that it was a minor disagreement. He also added that the issue has been resolved.