- Patrol vans, personal vehicles razed over alleged killing of one alleged smuggler
The no lost love between Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and smugglers took a dive for the worst on Thursday, in Ogun State, with each of the camps recounting their respective losses.
While one Tunde Alabe died from the civilian camp, virtually all security agencies that had checkpoints at the “war zone” of Olajogun, Hanger and Ohunbe in the Yewa-north Local Government area of the state had their doses of the bitter pills, as the rampaging smugglers razed down all the checkpoints.
In a press statement made available to reporters, the Ogun Area 1 Command Public Relations Officer (PRO), DSC Hammed Bukoye Oloyede listed the affected items to include “Two Customs Toyota Hilux patrol vans, one Toyota Hilux patrol van, belonging to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS),. One Mercedes Benz SUV, one Peugeot 206 car, four Motorcycles belonging to NIS. original credentials and other documents belonging to two Customs personnel, two buildings and many other patrol points”.
Trouble started when, according to the PRO, “on the 10th of February, 2021, at about 1723hours, the Joint Border Drill operatives, stationed at Olajogun in Oja-Odan area of Ilaro, intercepted several kegs of 25 litres capacity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) destined for smuggling outside Nigeria.
“In an attempt to seize the said petroleum products, obviously in contravention of schedule six (6) of Common External Tariff, some smugglers, armed with assorted dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, guns and charms unleashed deadly attack against lawful officers, leading to a crossfire. In the ensuing exchange of fire between smugglers and the patrol team, one Tunde Alabe (male), a native of Ohunbe community, also involved in the attack sustained a gun injury leading to his untimely death”, the PRO said.
The Ogun Area 1 Customs image maker stated further that, “This unfortunate incident led to the blockage of Oja-Odan/Obelle Road by syndicated armed smugglers/hoodlums. They further advanced their hostilities by burning down all Customs Checkpoints and that of sister security agencies from Olajogun to Hanger and Ohunbe Areas of Ogun state”
Meanwhile, the Customs Area Controller, (CAC), Compt. Peter Chado Kolo has vowed to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident and promised to bring the perpetrators of the evil act to book, while appealing to traditional rulers, opinion moulders and eminent personalities on the need to dissuade teeming youths from seeing smuggling as a good means of livelihood. The protection of the society against socio-economic ills usually compounded by smuggling is a collective course we should all join force to fight against.
- Crime Puzzle