Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Anti-Smuggling Task Force on surveillance activities were ambushed by suspected smugglers at Kishi border town of Oyo State, engaged them in a battle and left them injured.
Addressing journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, Deputy Comptroller of Customs and Coordinator, Customs Headquarters Special Anti-Smuggling Task Force, Shallangwa Hassan Sule, expressed concern over the activities of smugglers along the Kishi border post.
Narrating the ordeals of his men, he said: “A group of people from the Kishi and Igbeti communities, assisted by others from Ilorin, descended on officers of the taskforce who were performing their legitimate duty at that axis. This team had for the past weeks made it very difficult for smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities, hence the resort to violence. This is with a view to intimidating the officers from carrying out their legitimate duty. But we want to assure them that we will not and cannot be intimidated by these acts of violence. We shall continue to vigorously perform our duty and also restrain ourselves from use of arms in order to respect to the sanctity of human lives.”
Shallangwa expressed appreciation to what he called the quality leadership provided by the Customs Area Comptroller of Oyo/Osun Area Command, Mr. Richard Oteri who, he said, has given the headquarters task force team the needed cooperation.
“But for those who think they can make profit through compromising our economy, health and national security, they have everything to fear because we will always track them down and bring them to justice,” he said.
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