Suspected smugglers kill Customs officer

Suspected smugglers on Tuesday night killed a Customs officer in an attempt to beat a roadblock mounted by law enforcement agents on patrol at Ihunbo in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The deceased, whose name was A.A Abubakar, was a principal inspector of Customs as at the time of his death. He was allegedly knocked down when he tried to stop a speeding vehicle conveying suspected smugglers.

The Area Comptroller of the Ogun State Command of the Customs Service, Mr. Bamidele Akande, told journalists on Friday that the late Abubakar and his colleagues were searching a vehicle they had earlier intercepted when another car sped towards them and knocked him down.

Akande said that the police had already launched an investigation into the accident that led to the Customs officer’s death.

“Abubakar was knocked down by a vehicle while on duty. It was an accident. The police are investigating the incident. That is all I have to say for now. The vehicle was not intercepted, so we cannot say the driver was a smuggler or an ordinary motorist.

“When this accident occurred, the deceased and his colleagues had intercepted a vehicle and they were searching it when this vehicle suddenly veered off and knocked him down and of course, sped away,” he said.