•Nigeria Customs operatives
At least one person has been confirmed dead after smugglers attacked operatives of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service at Idiroko Border, following a confrontation that lasted several hours.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Alapoti Villa in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council, where customs personnel on routine anti-smuggling patrol along a bush path came under violent assault by suspected members of a smuggling cartel, reports The Guardian.
The operatives had earlier intercepted a motorcycle convoy conveying no fewer than 46 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, allegedly smuggled into the country under cover of darkness. The seized items were loaded into an NCS patrol vehicle for onward movement to the command’s office.
However, while withdrawing from the area, the patrol team was ambushed by the smugglers, who were reportedly armed with dane guns, stones, bottles and charms. The attackers launched a coordinated assault in an attempt to overpower the officers and recover the confiscated goods.
The command’s spokesperson, Zakari Chado, said in a statement yesterday that the officers maintained their composure and successfully repelled the attack after an intense gun battle lasting about 30 minutes.
“During the confrontation, one of the assailants sustained injuries and later died, while a suspect who claimed ownership of the seized rice was arrested and is currently under investigation,” Chado said.
He added that the recent spate of attacks on customs personnel was linked to renewed and intensified anti-smuggling operations, which have resulted in major seizures of arms, ammunition, narcotics and other prohibited items within the command’s area of responsibility.
Reacting to the incident, the Acting Area Controller of Ogun I Command, Olukayode Afeni, condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric and an assault on the rule of law”.
Afeni said the incident would not deter officers from carrying out their statutory duties, assuring that those responsible would be identified and brought to justice.
He also reassured law-abiding residents of the command’s commitment to their safety and the enforcement of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
