Okada smugglers attack Customs on anti-smuggling patrol *As one dies during the scuffle

Okada smugglers attack Customs on anti-smuggling patrol

*As one dies during the scuffle

By Udeme Clement:

Apparently, incessant attacks on Customs Officers by die-hard smugglers operating in Ogun State have taken a new dimension.

Financial Business News learnt that aside from dreaded smugglers carrying out nefarious activities in vehicles padded with extra-iron carriers, those using motorcycles, (commonly known as Okada), through the forest and bush paths are also attacking Customs.

That was the situation in Ogun State, yesterday, as Okada smugglers in large number attacked operatives of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ogun – 1 Command while on duty.

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Command, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed that the smugglers attacked the officers, who were on routine anti-smuggling patrol, along Aselu and Igua communities, within
Yewa North local government area of Ogun State.
He informed,
“At about 1300hrs of Saturday, 25/4/2020, Officers and Men of NCS Ogun I Command went on routine anti-smuggling patrol and eventually came across a convoy of motorcycles (popularly known as okada) ferrying smuggled foreign parboiled rice along the bush paths of Aselu and Igua communities, Yewa North LGA in Ogun state.

“The aforementioned smuggling gang having been caught in the act, resorted to unleashing a vicious attack on Officers performing their duties with dangerous weapons”.

He added, “The Officers successfully repelled the attack launched by the smugglers and at the end, one of the smugglers died and his corpse has since been deposited in mortuary”.

The PRO, who spoke on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, CAC, of the Command, Comptroller Michael Agbara, revealed,
“The arrival of reinforcement teams enabled evacuation of fourty four bags of rice (50kg each) and two motorcycles abandoned by smugglers to Government Warehouse in Abeokuta, for safe keeping and further investigation.

“It is instructive to note that Saturday (25/04/2020) was a date set aside for total lockdown in Ogun state due to the surge of COVID-19 pandemic.

“However, the dare-devil smugglers who have no regard for laws of the land, resorted to crossing the border through illegal routes, to perpetrate their criminal activities, in total disregard of the health and economic well-being of the nation.”

He stressed, “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.”

Recall that this is happening only few days after another Customs Officer of the same Command was violently attacked by smugglers in Ogun State.

The Officer, who was fired on the head narrowly escaped death, as he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.