Smugglers shoot Customs officer in Oyo

A customs officer with the Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been shot by some smugglers who ambushed men of the command in Ogbomoso area of Oyo State.

The Controller, Oyo/ Osun Area Command, Richard Oteri, who made the disclosure on Thursday while receiving the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State chapter led by its Chairman, Mr. Joseph Okwuofu, at the command headquarters, Bodija, Ibadan, said the officer sustained severe injuries in the attack.

He said the attack on the customs officer and his other colleagues came after a successful seizure of two vehicles smuggled into the country through Igbeti in Oyo State.

The customs boss added that the injured officer, Umar Abdulkadri, is receiving medical attention at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, where medical personnel are battling to save his life.

Oteri said: “The officers were returning to Ibadan with the seizures at Igbeti town, but on getting to Ogbomoso they met a crowd blocking the road, unknown to them that the smugglers have mobilised some hoodlums who waylaid our men and seriously injured one of them in the attack.”

He explained further that one of the vehicles seized from the smugglers were lost to the hoodlums in the attack which occurred at about 4am last Tuesday.