How Custom Officers Killed Five Smugglers

Five persons were confirmed dead on Thursday, August 6,  when men of the Ogun state command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in a shoot out, killed smugglers around Oju-Ore area of Ota in Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of the state.

Custom officers

An eyewitness confirmed the killings, saying this was just part of what they experience daily along the route.

It was gathered that the custom officers have been on the trail of the smugglers from Owode town in Yewa South Local Government Area before they engaged the criminals in a face-off around Oju-Ore.

He explained that the smugglers have successfully smuggled in three expensive cars including a 2014 model Range Rover car, but were intercepted at their base in Ota.

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“The smugglers alighted from their vehicles in the densely populated Oju-Ore bus stop where they eventually attacked the Customs officers with dangerous weapons including guns while the officers responded.

“The gun duel lasted for about 45 to 50 minutes and at the end of the whole show, five people were killed while several persons that were seriously injured were rushed to the Ota general hospital.

“One of the vehicles conveying the officers also hit a passer-by and was taken to the same hospital for attention,” the eyewitness narrated.

Another source, who preferred anonymity revealed to our correspondent that the smugglers are popular in the area and their leader is a dreaded chap, simply identified as Agarawu.

He alleged that Agarawu has always been negotiating with the officers to carry out his illicit trade, adding that the negotiation must have hit a brick wall, which led to the confrontational attack.

The source explained that it took the intervention of the state special combined security outfit, ‘OP Mesa’ and men of the special anti robbery squad to douse the tension in the area.

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When contacted, the customs public relations officer, Usman Abdullahi, denied knowledge of the incident but promise to get back after his investigation.

“I am not aware of that to my knowledge, but I will do my investigation and findings and whatever it is, I will get you posted,”Abdullahi said.

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