Two hoodlums were killed, several were injured, and one Taiye Kujo was arrested during an assault on officers of Ogun I Command, Customs Service, who were accompanied by military personnel on Thursday.
According to a press release signed by the Command’s spokesman, DSC Hammed Bukoye Oloyede, the incident was caused by an assault on the Customs patrol team by smugglers and their cohorts.
He said that “diehard smugglers, assisted by unscrupulous elements and hoodlums in their numbers and armed with specialized guns, fired and threatened the patrol team” in order to prevent the contraband from being evacuated.
Three hundred and twenty (320) bags of international perboiled rice, each weighing 50kg.
“Unfortunately, four (4) Customs officers, one (1) soldier, and five (5) civilians assisting in the evacuation were shot during the assault.
They were rushed to the hospital for emergency medical attention and are now responding to care.
“The Command’s Comptroller, Peter Kolo, has appealed to Traditional Rulers and community leaders to caution their subjects to refrain from smuggling operations and attacks on security personnel, as anybody detected would face the full force of the law.”
Kolo has “assured the general public that the resumed hostilities by armed smugglers would not stop Officers and Men from carrying out their legislative duties.”
