Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have reportedly repelled an attack by gunmen along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, forcing the assailants to flee.
The incident occurred around 3 am on Saturday, according to a senior NDLEA official who confirmed the attack to our correspondent.
The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said the gunmen had blocked the highway when one of their victims escaped and alerted NDLEA operatives stationed nearby.
‘Our men engaged them in a shootout and repelled the attack,’ he said.
He added that no one was abducted during the incident, as the operatives arrived in time to disperse the gunmen.
The NDLEA official said the incident occurred four days ago, although the footage circulated on social media on Monday.
The video obtained by Daily Trust showed several vehicles and articulated trucks abandoned along the highway following the encounter.
Some of the trucks were seen with their engines running, but without drivers or passengers inside.
The footage also showed NDLEA operatives patrolling the area and documenting the aftermath of the encounter.
Speaking in Hausa, one of the officers said the suspected robbers had fled upon the arrival of the NDLEA team.
Another officer was heard directing his colleagues to gather the abandoned belongings and load them into a truck for recovery.
When contacted, the Kaduna State NDLEA Public Relations Officer, Sani Garba, promised to provide details after making enquiries but had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer DSP Mansir Hassan could not be reached on the phone.