Suspected Smugglers Launch Another Attack on Customs Officers in Ogun – Official

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has confirmed a new attack on its personnel by individuals believed to be smugglers, which occurred along a bush path in Alapoti, located in the Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government Area.

Zakari Chado, the spokesperson for the command, disclosed the details of the incident in a statement issued on Sunday in Ota.

Mr. Chado noted that this assault on customs officers comes shortly after a similar violent encounter involving suspected drug traffickers, which resulted in serious injuries to two customs personnel in the Akokoro area of Iwoye, within the Imeko-Afon Local Government Area.

The attack transpired around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday during a routine anti- smuggling patrol by customs officers on a bush path in Alapoti, as they responded to a convoy of motorcycles suspected of transporting illicit foreign parboiled rice.

The customs team managed to seize and remove 46 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, which had been loaded into an official patrol vehicle just before the ambush.

While retreating from the scene, the officers were suddenly confronted by a large group armed with various weapons including Dane guns, bottles, and stones, intending to overpower the customs team and reclaim the seized goods.

The officers remained composed during this onslaught, successfully repelling the attackers after an intense 30-minute standoff. During this altercation, one assailant was injured and later succumbed to his injuries, while another individual who claimed ownership of the confiscated rice has been detained for further questioning.

Mr. Chado emphasized that the recent surge in assaults on customs officials is a direct consequence of heightened and intensified anti-smuggling operations, which have resulted in substantial seizures of illegal arms, drugs, and other prohibited materials in the command's operational area.

He remarked on the desperate reactions from criminal factions attempting to thwart legitimate enforcement efforts and compromise national security.

In response to the violence, Acting Area Controller Olukayode Afeni condemned the assaults, labeling them as barbaric and an infringement on the rule of law. Mr. Afeni affirmed that such hostilities would not deter the NCS from fulfilling its official duties and assured the public of the command's steadfast commitment to ensuring safety while enforcing the Nigeria Customs Service Act of 2023.