Nigerian Customs, Smugglers Clash In Ogun

Officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and some suspected smugglers have clashed in Ogun State, South-West Nigeria.

The incident, which occurred at Olorunlere Village, near Alapoti, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, on Thursday, led to the ‘disappearance’ of an officer of the NCS.

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS Ogun 1 Command, Hammed Oloyede, explained that the customs officers on routine patrol had intercepted some vehicles conveying bags of foreign rice.

Sensing that the illegal goods would be seized, the suspected smugglers were said to have started shooting to evade arrest.

This, according to Oloyede, resulted in the exchange of fire between both sides.

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As the customs officers were overpowered due to the numeric strength of the said smugglers, it was gathered that they called for reinforcement from the military as the “team tactically withdrew to enable the arrival of the reinforcements teams.”

However, Oloyede said before the arrival of the military personnel and other units of service including the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), “the hoodlums had vandalized one of the official vehicles attached to the team. It was later discovered that an official driver, CAI (T) Taiwo Odeyemi was missing.”

This newspaper understands that the NCS has involved other security agents in searching for the missing officer, vowing that those behind the attack would face the full wrath of the law.