The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday said some hoodlums working with smugglers attacked its operatives, injuring three officers and a soldier attached to the patrol team along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Theophilus Duniya, said in a statement that the attack occurred around 6am when the officers were on anti-smuggling patrol.
He said the officers had intercepted six vehicles laden with smuggled rice before they were attacked by the hoodlums.
According to the statement, “At about 0600 hours of Tuesday 2nd February, 2021, officers of the Unit, while carrying out their statutory duty of enforcing anti-smuggling laws; acted on intelligence and intercepted six vehicles laden with foreign parboiled rice at Abeokuta Express Way.
“Upon the interception, some armed hoodlums working in support of smugglers swiftly mobilized themselves and attacked our officers in their bid to prevent the seizure from being taken away. However, in the cross fire that ensued, our operatives overpowered them and were able to evacuate three out of the intercepted vehicles to the warehouse.
“Three Customs officers and a soldier sustained some bullet injuries from the attack. The wounded officers are currently receiving treatment at our medical facility, while further investigation into bringing the perpetrators of the attack to book has commenced.”
Acting Controller of the Unit, Yahaya Usman, as quoted in the statement warned youths to desist from being used by economic saboteurs to confront operatives of the Service from carrying out their lawful duties.
“The Ag. Controller is very concerned about the injuries inflicted on the officers which were totally avoidable if only the youths were patriotic enough to know that the officers were just performing their lawful duties,” the statement said.
The Controller while thanking law abiding citizens for supporting the Unit’s operations also warned people with criminal intentions to desist from such as according to him, “officers and men of the Unit are well mobilized, backed up by the extant laws and remain resolute at enforcing the laws without fear of intimidation.”