An Assistant Superintendent of Narcotic 1 with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Aliyu Imran, was tragically murdered in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where he was burnt alive by an angry mob.
According to SaharaReporters, Imran and his colleagues had been pursuing a suspected drug dealer when the suspect, trying to flee, reversed his vehicle and ran over at least three people.
The tragic incident occurred in the Gadan-Gayan area of Igabi LGA.
Imran, attempting to defuse the situation, was attacked by the mob, which escalated rapidly.
“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,” the report said.
During the chaos, Imran was reportedly stabbed while his Officer in Charge (OC) called for backup.
Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital by a police officer on a motorbike, the mob followed them to the facility, dragged Imran out, and set him on fire, killing him in the process.
A source close to the family has accused the NDLEA of neglecting the victim’s family.
“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 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.”
The source described how the officers had followed the suspect’s vehicle after the accident, only for the situation to turn violent when Imran attempted to intervene.
“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,” the source said, adding that the OC ordered the officers to leave.
“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 started saying, okay. You guys should inbox. Like, let’s go. When you say inbox, it means you should enter car – let’s leave.”
The family is devastated by the agency’s lack of response.
“Aliyu had stepped out of the vehicle to calm the situation, but the crowd turned hostile…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.”
Imran had recently gotten married in December, and his wife reportedly fainted at his burial.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the incident but denied the claim that the agency had neglected its fallen 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.”
Babafemi further emphasized that the agency is thoroughly investigating the matter and has already suspended the commander involved in the operation.
“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 said.
