At least one person has been confirmed dead following a violent attack on operatives of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Idiroko border axis of Ogun State.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Alapoti Villa, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, when customs officers on a routine anti-smuggling patrol along a bush path came under sustained assault by suspected members of a smuggling syndicate.
Customs sources said the operatives had earlier intercepted a convoy of motorcycles conveying 46 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, allegedly smuggled into the country under the cover of darkness. The seized items were loaded into a patrol vehicle for conveyance to the command’s office.
However, while the officers were withdrawing from the area, they were ambushed by the smugglers, who were reportedly armed with dane guns, stones, bottles and charms. The assailants launched a coordinated attack in an attempt to overpower the officers and recover the confiscated goods, leading to a confrontation that lasted several hours.
Confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, Mr Zakari Chado, said in a statement on Sunday that the officers maintained professionalism and successfully repelled the attackers after an intense exchange that lasted about 30 minutes.
“During the confrontation, one of the assailants sustained fatal injuries and later died, while a suspect who claimed ownership of the seized rice was arrested and is currently undergoing investigation,” Chado said.
He attributed the recent spate of attacks on customs personnel within the command’s area of responsibility to renewed and intensified anti-smuggling operations, which have led to significant seizures of arms, ammunition, narcotics and other prohibited items.
Reacting to the incident, the Acting Area Controller of Ogun I Command, Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric and a direct assault on the rule of law.”
Afeni said the incident would not deter officers of the command from discharging their statutory responsibilities, assuring that those behind the attack would be identified and brought to justice.
He also reassured law-abiding residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to their safety and to the enforcement of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, urging the public to continue to support the service in its fight against smuggling and other economic crimes.
