An alleged smuggler was killed on Saturday during a fierce gun battle that erupted after suspected smugglers and a mob attacked officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, along the Alapoti bush path in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The command confirmed that the confrontation followed the interception of a consignment of smuggled foreign parboiled rice during a routine anti-smuggling patrol. A suspect who later claimed ownership of the seized goods was arrested and is currently in custody, assisting investigators.
In a statement issued at the weekend, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Zakari Chado, described the attack as unprovoked and alarming, noting that it came barely a week after another violent incident in which suspected drug traffickers assaulted Customs operatives at Akokoro in Iwoye, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area. Two officers injured in that earlier attack, he said, are still receiving medical treatment for life-threatening injuries.
Chado explained that at about 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, 31 January 2026, Customs officers on patrol along the Alapoti bush path intercepted a convoy of motorcycles transporting smuggled foreign parboiled rice. In the operation, 46 bags of 50-kilogramme rice were seized and loaded into an official patrol vehicle as the officers prepared to leave the area.
According to him, the situation escalated dramatically as the patrol team withdrew. A large mob, armed with dane guns, stones, bottles and charms, allegedly sprang an ambush in a coordinated attempt to overpower the officers and reclaim the seized items. The ensuing exchange lasted about 30 minutes, during which the operatives reportedly held their ground and repelled the attackers.
During the confrontation, one of the assailants sustained serious injuries and later died. Another individual who claimed ownership of the seized rice was apprehended at the scene and is currently undergoing investigation, the command said.
The Ogun I Area Command noted that the recent wave of attacks on its personnel is closely linked to intensified anti-smuggling operations across the area, which have led to significant seizures of arms, ammunition, narcotics and other prohibited items. Chado said the violent backlash highlighted the determination of criminal networks to resist lawful enforcement and undermine national security.
Reacting to the incident, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Olukayode Afeni, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and a direct assault on the rule of law.
He warned that those responsible would be tracked down and prosecuted, insisting that such resistance would not deter the command from discharging its statutory responsibilities.
Afeni reassured law-abiding residents of the area of the command’s continued commitment to their safety and to the strict enforcement of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, stressing that the service would remain resolute in its fight against smuggling and related crimes.