October 29, (THEWILL) – The body of a Customs officer who was abducted on Tuesday by suspected smugglers in Ogun State has been found in Ipaja river in Fagbohun village, Ogun State.
This brings it to two officers killed in the ambush.
Suspected smugglers on Tuesday ambushed a Customs patrol team at Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State and abducted two Customs officers in the process.
The body of one of the officers was found in a river near Fagbohun village. After hours of search, his rifle was later found a few metres away from the river where the body was dumped.
The officers attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, comprising Lagos and Ogun State, were on patrol on Tuesday afternoon when they were ambushed.
Addressing newsmen on the latest attack on Friday through a conference call, the Customs Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, said on October 16 at Sagamu Interchange, suspected smugglers carried out attacks on some Customs officers attached to a patrol team in the area.
He said the officers accosted about 24 vehicles carrying smuggled rice and that 12 of the vehicles were being taken to FOU Headquarters in Lagos when the smugglers attacked the officers.
“Two officers sustained machete wounds and luckily enough, they were treated and responded to treatment. As if that was not enough, on Tuesday, October 26, in the same Ogun State, suspected smugglers ambushed another patrol team in Yewa South Local government Area of Ogun State and abducted two officers.
“Two of the officers were declared missing as of Tuesday. Search for them continued till Wednesday morning when the body of one.of them was found in a river near Ajegun-Iyaloosa village. His rifle was also found near the river.
“The search for the second missing officer continued till Friday when the body of the second abducted officer was found. The strap of his rifle was still hanging on him at the time his body was found but his rifle was missing.
“Those in authority should know that we are all their children and no life is more sacred than another. If it were to be the other way round, the news would have been everywhere. This will be the last time I will come on air to discuss issues of attack and killing of Customs officer.
“Henceforth, I will be forced to evoke our Rules of Engagement. Officers will now defend themselves when an unprovoked attack is unleashed on them,” he said.
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