…Five suspects arrested
Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I command on Friday evening came under attack by people suspected to be smugglers at Ilashe village in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun state.
Confirming the attack, the Customs Public Relations Officer of Ogun I command, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada in a statement on Sunday said that at about 7.30pm on the said day, the officials had gone on information patrol to the community where they intercepted thirty-five (35) bags of smuggled parboiled rice of 50kg each ferried by a convoy of motorcyclists popularly known as Okada during the operation.
Maiwada observed that on their way out of the area, the smugglers mobilised themselves in an overwhelming number, launching a vicious attack with assorted weapons on officers performing their lawful duties.
According to him, “In an effort to repel the attack and avoid bloodshed, one officer of the Customs, Assistant Superintendent Chidi Johnson was brutally matcheted, sustaining deep cuts in various parts of his body.
“The seriously wounded Officer was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention, and luckily he is responding to treatment.”
He however disclosed that five suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident and were currently undergoing interrogation.
“It is instructive to note that Friday (08/05/2020) was a date set aside for total lockdown in Ogun state due to the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We find it unfortunate and strange, that the daredevil smugglers who have no regards for laws of the land or the disease ravaging the global community resorted to crossing the border through illegal routes to perpetrate such nefarious activities in total disregard of the health and economic well-being of Nigerians.
“Principally, we seize this opportunity to enjoin the faceless unpatriotic smuggling cartels to stop using uninformed youths as cannon fodders in their nefarious trade. We challenge them to bring their own biological children to attack personnel of the Service and have a taste of the consequences of such act.
“May God heal our land and restore the peace we seek”, he prayed.
Photo: One of the matchet cuts on the injured customs officer, ASC Chidi Johnson.
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