The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service said it has arrested a suspected killer of an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Yakubu Shuaibu.
38 year-old Shuaibu, who was attached to the FOU, reportedly died last week Sunday from injuries sustained in an ambush by suspected smugglers at Akinrun village, Oja-Odan axis in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Customs operatives, who were said to be on patrol duty, had made a seizure of smuggled rice and were returning to their base when the attackers suspected to be smugglers ambushed and opened fire on them.
The Customs anti-smuggling unit’s spokesman, Jerry Attah, who made the disclosure in a chat with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY in Lagos over the weekend, said the suspect is providing useful information that may lead to the arrest of other members of the gang while investigation is still ongoing.
According to him, “We have a suspect arrested in connection to the incident and he is giving useful statement that will lead to the arrest of the other members, so investigations is still ongoing. When you have this type of case involving murder and smuggling, Customs as an agency will do its own part and at the end, we will hand over to appropriate authorities to continue from there, but presently, he is still within our custody.”
Attah, who described the late Shuaib as a hardworking, selfless and committed officer, said he will be greatly missed by in the unit, even as he noted that a delegation recently paid a condolence visit to his family in Gombe State.
He however noted that the incident will not in the anyway deter the anti-smuggling unit from carrying out its statutory responsibility of suppressing smuggling.
“We are indeed saddened by the incident. In fact, a delegation from the office visited the late officers’ village in Gombe for condolence on Thursday. The activities of smugglers will not deter us from performing our statutory responsibilities. Smuggling cannot be eradicated but can only be reduced. So whether we like it or not, we will still see those who want to try the government. Despite the killing, morale of officers remains high, and as a matter of fact, the battle line has been drawn between Customs and the smugglers,” he added.