Agency officials clash with suspected smugglers in Lagos

chika ebuzor

July 2, 2016 11:15 AM

An eyewitness who identified himself as Emeka Ejiofor said attempts to bribe the customs officials were resisted and the vehicle was impounded.

Some persons believed to be smugglers and officials of the

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that trouble started when NCS officers at a checkpoint In the Mowo area of Badagry seized bags of rice from an alleged smuggler at 3:00 a.m.

An eyewitness who identified himself as Emeka Ejiofor told NAN that attempts to bribe the customs officials were resisted and the vehicle was impounded.

"Officials at the checkpoint stopped the car and after searching it, bags of rice and frozen poultry products were discovered inside the car and they were seized.

"The driver of the car tried to bribe the officials of the command but they were resisted so the seizures were being conveyed to the command at Seme.

"As they got to the roundabout in Badagry, the smugglers had laid siege and immediately attacked the officers with various dangerous weapons, but they were able to call for re-inforcement.

"Before the re-enforcement could arrive, the smugglers had already injured most of the officers and two of them are now in the hospital, with life-threatening injuries," Ejiofor said.

He added that the vehicle belonging to officials of the NCS was damaged beyond repairs.

An Asst. Comptrollert of the NCS, Mr U.M. Abdulkadir, the officer-in-charge of Operations AT Seme, confirmed the attack to NAN when he visited the scene.

"It is unfortunate that this incident happened but it would not stop us from carrying out our duties as every loophole would be blocked to make sure that unauthorized goods do not come through this route.

"Smugglers should desist from their nefarious acts or prepared to face the full wrath of the law," he said.

NAN reports that soldiers were usually stationed at the roundabout and other strategic places in the area, in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

chika ebuzor