Nigeria: Customs officer missing after gunshots on patrolling

In a statement made by Hammed Bukoye Oloyede, the Public Relations Officer of the Command declared that a Nigeria Customs Service has been reported missing, according to a report by Today Ng. Ogun 1 Area Command said that the operatives of the command disputed with suspected smugglers along with Olorunlere Village, near Alapoti town.

According to the statement the incident occurred on 3 December in Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State during routine patrolling. It was when the smugglers sensed their loss and started shooting sporadically resulting in an exchange of fires.

Oloyede made the statement about the incident, he said, "on the arrival of the military personnel and other units of Customs including Federal Operations Unit (FOU) as requested by the Customs Area Controller, Peter Kolo, the hoodlums had already vandalised one of the official vehicles attached to the team. It was later discovered that an official driver, CA I (T) Taiwo Odeyemi was missing and has not been found as at the time of writing this report."

He said that the probe is continuous quoting, "in the light of the above, investigation is ongoing and effort is being made along with other security agencies and other critical stakeholders to locate the whereabouts of the missing officer and rescue him alive."

"To this end, the CAC strongly warned smugglers and their supporters that the incessant attacks leave officers with no other choice than to use appropriate force to deal with these new waves of criminal attacks on personnel performing their statutory functions. The Command will not be deterred by this and will step up its offensive against those whose interests are to make profits at the expense of the nation. Finally, the CAC has vowed to ensure that those behind this attack face the full wrath of the law and justice", Oloyede added to his statement.