Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
One suspected smuggler has been reportedly killed during a clash between officers of the Nigerian Customs Service, Ogun 1 Command and smugglers in Iselu and Eegua towns in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
In a statement on Sunday by the Public Relations Officer of the NCS Ogun Area Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, the incident occurred on Saturday around 1p.m during a routine anti-smuggling patrol by officers and men of NCS Ogun I Command.
According to Maiwada, the anti-smuggling patrol team had come across a convoy of motorcycles (popularly known as okada) ferrying smuggled foreign parboiled rice along the bush paths of Iselu and Igua communities.
He explained further that on sighting the patrol team, the suspected smuggling gang resorted to unleashing a vicious attack on the officers with various dangerous weapons, but the customs operatives successfully repelled the attack launched by the smugglers.
One of the suspected smugglers, however, was felled by the fire power of the anti-smuggling team.
His corpse, according to the PRO, had since been deposited at a mortuary.
Meanwhile, the reinforcement teams of the NCS evacuated 44 bags of rice (50kg each) and two motorcycles abandoned by the smugglers to the Government Warehouse in Abeokuta for safe keeping and further investigation.
“It is instructive to note that Saturday was a date set aside for total lockdown in Ogun state due to the surge of COVID-19 pandemic. However, the daredevil smugglers who have no regards for law of the land or the disease ravaging the global community, resorted to crossing the border through illegal routes to perpetrate their nefarious activities in total disregard of the health and economic well being of the country.
“The Command wishes to reiterate and warn the public against attack on officers performing their lawful duty as such will leave the officers with no other alternative than to defend themselves”. Maiwada stated in the statement.