One killed as Customs, smugglers clash in Ogun

...Five vehicles destroyed, one officer injured

Pandemonium broke out on Tuesday at Sango Tollgate end of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Ado-Odo-Ota local government area of Ogun State when men of Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operation Unit, Ikeja and smugglers clashed, leaving one person believed to be a smuggler dead.

It was gathered that the bloody clash occurred   when hoodlums suspected to be smugglers reportedly ambushed the convoy of the customs which was conveying seized 45 bags of rice and 258 cartons of poultry products (turkey), alleged to have been smuggled through the Republic of Benin.

It was gatherer that, the suspected smugglers reportedly laid ambush on the customs officers who were taking away the contraband products to the the Customs Ware house in Lagos.

An eye witness said that there was confusion at the Tollgate as traders and passers-by scampered for safety when the customs and smugglers engaged one another   in gun duel.

After the dust was settled, it was discovered that one person suspected to be a smuggler has been shot dead.

It was also gathered that, the hoodlums, who were said to have been irked by the killing of the victim whose identify could not be ascertained as at the time of the filing this report, stormed the Customs check point at Atan area along Sango-Idi Iroko road, and reportedly destroyed five vehicles belonging to the customs and civilians   and destroyed the check point.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun state command of Nigeria Customs, Abdulahi Maiwada confirmed the incident.

Maiwada said one officer was attacked by the hoodlums and was lying critically in the hospital while five vehicles were vandalised as one was burnt to ashes.

The Public Relations Officer said three of the affected vehicles belong   to the Customs while two others belong to private individuals.

He further explained that the Federal Operating Unit from Ikeja in Lagos state, had intercepted and seized two vehicles loaded with bags of rice and cartons of turkey in Sango area ,but , they  were ambushed at the Tollgate area on their way to Customs' warehouse in Lagos.

He stated that the smugglers, driving  a Mazda car with registration number KTU 504 AM and an unregistered Passat car, were transporting 45 bags of rice and 258 cartons of turkey respectively when they were intercepted by the FOU team.

The PRO confirmed the death of one person but said the person that  fired the shot that killed the victim was yet to be established , adding that  the hoodlums were armed with guns and other dangerous weapons.

He, however, said that the customs operatives were able to transport the seized goods to the warehouse in Ikeja.

"The clash at the Tollgate was as a result of some hoodlums we believed to be smugglers, waylaid FOU team on its way to Ikeja and launched a surprised attack on the team. In the melee that ensued, one person was confirmed dead but where the shot that killed him came from is yet to be ascertained.

"The team had intercepted two vehicles loaded with contraband - 45 bags of rice and 258 cartons of turkey and the mob attacked them probably to prevent them from taking the goods to Ikeja. When their ambush fell through, the hoodlums stormed our check point at Atan and set three vehicles belonging to customs and a civilian in the area", Maiwada submitted.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that the suspected smuggler was killed during a gun duel.

Oyeyemi said that officers of the NCS intercepted the smugglers at the toll gate in Ota, but they resisted arrest and opened fire and in the exchange the yet to be identified man was killed.

”There was a gun fire between the officials of the NCS and the struggles at the toll-gate, Ota, Ogun, which brought about the death of one of the smugglers,’’ he said.

The Police Command’ spokesman said that the police had however restored peace in the area and prevent the loss of innocent lives.

He said that the police had started investigation into the incident.