Custom Officer Shot Dead, 3 Injured As Smugglers Attempt To Reclaim Seized Goods In Kwara
Hoodlums, apparently at the instance of smugglers ,who were making attempts to reclaim seized goods on Friday launched a surprise attack that left one customs officer dead and three injured .
Chado Zakari, who is the Public Relations Officer, Kwara Command, noted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Monday that security agents attached to the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 3 had intercepted forty (40) bags of foreign parboiled rice 50kg each and Thirty (30) jerry cans containing premium motor spirit (PMS) 25 each litres which were later abandoned in a bush path on Sinau-Kenu Road.
Sinau-Kenu road is in Baruten Local government , Kwara state.
The JBPT members had according to the statement immediately swung into action and loaded the seized items in their operational vehicles for onward transportation to the Government Warehouse for safe keeping in line with the rules of engagement.
However , while on transit; a group of hoodlums , who had waited in ambush,
pelted them with stones, bottles, cutlasses, sticks, charms and other dangerous items.
They also shot at the JBPT members and in the process , one among them died from gunshot wounds while three others sustained life-threatening injuries and are currently responding to treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The statement noted that the deceased, ASCI Saheed Aweda, an indigene of Ilorin, had since been buried in the Kwara state capital according to Islamic rites.
The statement added that Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, Representatives of DSS, NPF, ONSA, NIA, Immigration and other security agencies had also visited the Aweda family to offer their condolences.
‘Our prayers go out to the family of the deceased officer whose sacrifice is deeply appreciated and held in high esteem. To the injured officers , the Sector promises to stand by them on their journey to recovery and full restoration of health.
The sector wishes to commend the patriotic roles of our sister Agencies and law -abiding citizens in assisting the sector to perform its lawful duty of implementing partial closure of our land borders in the interest of our dear country.
There were Reinforcements from JBPT Headquarters Team, JBPT Ilesha Baruba, Kwara Command, Customs Police and 224 Recce Battalion of the Nigerian Army and they had immediately swung into action and the area had since returned to a state of normalcy while the contraband items were moved to JBPT Headquarters, Ilorin for safe keeping’ the statement said.
The statement also noted that the Coordinator, Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Compt Olugboyega Peters has ordered a full- scale investigation into the incident to identify those involved in what was described as ‘ barbaric, cruel and inhuman aggression’.
‘This trend of unprovoked attacks by faceless cowards whose intention is to instill fear in the minds of law enforcement
operatives shall not go unpunished. Neither will it dampen the morale of our officers or hinder them from carrying out their statutory functions.
We wish to categorically state that we will continue to prosecute the anti-smuggling crusade in spite of the unwarranted attacks.
The sector want to use this medium to advise parents/guardians to warn their wards to desist from obstructing our operatives from performing their legitimate duties as the Sector will not hesitate to
use appropriate force in line with the rules of engagement and will leave the Officers with no other alternative than to defend themselves in the interest of the nation’ the statement added- Team@orientactualmags.com
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