Smugglers who specialise in car smuggling have attacked operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Idiroko area of Ogun State injuring one of the officers with machetes during the attack.
Public Relation Officer of the Ogun command, Abdulahi Maiwada, who confirmed the incident to SHIPS & PORTS DAILY in Lagos, said the officers were attacked at about 8pm on Wednesday along Ilase axis in Ogun.
According to him, the officers, acting on information, had laid ambush on the smugglers in order to track some suspected smuggled vehicles when they were attacked.
Maiwada said the injured officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs 2, Musa Damaturu, attached to the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ was brutally injured with machetes in his left arms and wrist.
He said, “The incident happened on 7th, February 2018, at about 08:00 to 09.00hours. It was a joint patrol team between Ogun command crack squad and FOU, Zone ‘A’ along Ilase axis. They went on an information patrol and they laid an ambush in order to track some suspected smuggled vehicles.
“In the process, an officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs 2, Musa Damaturu sustained a life threatening injury. They wanted to cut him with machetes on the head but he used his hand to protect the head and they cut his arm and fingers. Our officers manage to shoot one of the smugglers on the leg but they all escaped,” he said.
Maiwada said despite resistance from the smugglers, one of the vehicles, a Toyota High Lander 2014 model was intercepted by the officers along Ibeju River around Ifoyintedo axis and successfully driven to the customs office at Idiroko.
He said Damaturu has since been transferred from the Idiroko General Hospital to the Air Force hospital in Lagos where doctors are battling to save his life.
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