•Customs operatives at checkpoint
An unidentified Customs officer attached to the Fingila checkpoint in the Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State was allegedly shot dead by suspected gunmen yesterday.
According to a local resident of Fingila village, identified simply as Malam Abdulrasheed, the gunmen had earlier stormed nearby farms where they reportedly harassed farmers, seized food items, and forced them to eat portions of their own meals before confiscating the rest, reports Channels TV.
“They entered the farms and asked the farmers to taste the food they brought from home. After forcing them to take a bite, the gunmen ate the remaining food and told the farmers to leave, saying there would be no farming today,” Abdulrasheed recounted.
He further explained that the attackers, about seven in number and riding motorcycles while carrying heavy weapons, later moved toward the main road. There, they encountered the Customs officer sitting near a mosque and opened fire on him.
Although the first shot missed, the second hit him as he attempted to flee into a nearby maize field. A third shot fatally struck him inside the field.
Two other officers, who were not in the open during the attack, managed to escape by crawling through the maize field, though they reportedly sustained minor injuries in the process.
The deceased officer, according to locals, was believed to be from Maiduguri in Borno State and was known to regularly sit near the mosque.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Customs Service in Kebbi State has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
