The Nigerian anti-drug agency has expressed regret to a man in the central Plateau state after its agents unintentionally raided his home while going after an alleged drug dealer. Alyasa’u Idris was taken into custody by armed agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday morning after they conducted an early-morning raid on his home. But it ended up being the wrong target.
Due to the prevalence of kidnappings for ransom in the country, Mr. Idris, 42, claimed he initially believed that his home was being targeted by kidnappers. He claimed that after hiding inside the ceiling, the officers who had broken in hauled him out. Yelwan-Shendam is the location of the incident.
After removing the man, the officers questioned him but soon realized that he was not the person they were looking for. He claimed that after being freed, he discovered his 500,000 Naira ($1,145; £1,010) gone when he got home.
Mr. Idris, a mattress vendor, said that the incident traumatized his entire family and that all four of his wives had to be admitted to hospitals due to the psychological effects.
A representative for the anti-drug organization Femi Babafemi told the BBC that after realizing it was a case of mistaken identity, its officers had promptly apologized to the man.
Mr. Babafemi advised the victim to submit a formal complaint in writing to the organization for an investigation into the accusations of missing money and a demand for compensation.
