A Senior officer, ASCI Saheed Aweda attached to Joint Border Patrol Team(JBPT) Sector 3 of the Nigerian Customs Service has been killed along Sinau-Kenu Road in Baruten Local government area of Kwara state by smugglers.
Three of the officers also sustained severe injuries in the clash and are presently receiving medical attention in the hospital.
NigeriaCrime.com gathered that incident happened after the Border Patrol Team had successfully impounded the contraband goods from the smugglers but were intercepted while in transit by another team of smugglers who fired several gunshots at them thereby killing the officer and injuring three others in the process.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer, Customs Command Kwara state, Chado Zakari said the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 3 operatives on information patrol along Sinau-Kenu road in Baruten LGA of Kwara State intercepted forty (40) bags of foreign parboiled rice 50kg each and Thirty (30) jerry cans of premium motor spirit (PMS) 25 each litres abandoned the bush paths, Sinau-Kenu Road.
“The operatives immediately swung to action and evacuated the seized items into their operational vehicles for onward delivery to Government Warehouse for safekeeping in line with rules of engagement, while on transit; a group of hoodlums laid ambush and pelted our personnel with guns, stones, bottles, cutlasses, sticks, charms and other dangerous items.
“Hoodlums laid ambush and shot sporadically at officers. In the fiery exchange that ensued, one of our officers succumbed to the cold hands of death, while three (3) officers sustained life-threatening injuries are currently responding to treatment in the hospital.
“The deceased ASCI Saheed Aweda has been buried according to Islamic right in his home town, Popogbona in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State”.
In a related development, two siblings were allegedly shot for allegedly smuggling foreign rice by operatives of the Nigerian Army on Sunday in Owode, Yewa South local government area of Ogun State.
According to eyewitness reports, the officers had accosted the older of the two brothers in an attempt to seize his vehicle which contained bags of foreign parboiled rice.
“In the course of an altercation between the man and the soldiers, some people called his younger brother popularly known as Saheed Elegusi”.
It was learned that Saheed immediately rushed to the scene and the two of them were shot by the soldiers. Saheed died immediately, while his brother sustained injuries is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the area”.
It was alleged that the soldiers immediately fled the scene after shooting the siblings as angry youths took over the streets in protest.
The mob set bonfires on the Sango-Idiroko international road, disrupting vehicular movements for hours.
Confirming the incident on Monday, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said according to what he heard, the personnel shot two men, one of them died, while the other one sustained injuries and receiving treatment in hospital.
He added, the most unfortunate aspect of the incident was that an angry mob attacked an innocent officer of the Nigerian Air Force, killing him in retaliation.
Oyeyemi said the slain Air Force man was in uniform when he unknowingly ran into the mob who lynched him.
“Yes, the incident happened yesterday. I think it was caused by an argument between them (the two brothers) and the men of the Nigerian Army. We are still investigating.”