Customs Operatives Wounded, Flee as Smugglers Unleash Terror in Ogun
In an apparent bid to remain in their nefarious business, smugglers Monday attacked operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who were on routine anti-smuggling patrol at Owode, Ogun state.
Eye witness account said the attack led to various degrees of injuries suffered by the operatives of the Customs Service.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada who confirmed the attack on the officers said the smugglers had ganged up against the officers on patrol to stop them from seizing bags of rice stocked in some places of worship and residential houses.
Maiwada said the smugglers had opened fire on the officers leading to gun battle.
He also gave an indication that the officers had to embark on tactical withdrawal to allow peace to reign in the environment.
He disclosed that the smugglers had in their stiff resistance inflicted injuries on two officers.
The smugglers also destroyed vehicles belonging to the Customs Service during the attack.
It was gathered that the intervention of officers from other agencies may have helped in saving the situation from being more disastrous.
The statement from the PRO reads: “unfortunately, at about 1200hours of Monday afternoon (21st January, 2019), some smugglers and their accomplices ganged-up against an Anti-smuggling Team from discharging its legitimate functions at Owode (Yewa) community. The Officers who went on an operation to save Nigerian economy from the mayhem of smugglers who stocked a place of worship and some houses nearby with rice suspected to have been smuggled into Nigeria. The team faced stiff resistance from some armed criminals inflicting serious injuries on two Officers and minor injuries on other members of the team, and further destroyed official patrol vehicles. The encounter led to exchange of fire between Officers and smugglers with their accomplices. For peace to reign, the team resorted to tactical withdrawal. However, the hoodlums took law into their hands by barricading the main road leading to Idiroko, scouting for Customs Officers to attack. They are also battling with law enforcement agencies to gain access to Customs formations for further confrontation”.
It would be recalled that the smugglers had also during a similar attack recently killed an officer of the Customs in an ambush.
Maiwada said that following the ugly incident of January 6 when the Service lost one of its officers, there have been concerted efforts to educate the public on the menace of smuggling and the implication of conspiring against the Service.
The PRO however warned that despite the attack from the smugglers, the Service will not stop its statutory obligation of checking smuggling.
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