Aduragbemi Omiyale
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Some smugglers have shot dead an official of the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 3 of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Kwara State.
A statement issued by the agency said the deceased, Mr Saheed Aweda, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1, was among its personnel ambushed along the Sinau-Kenu road in Baruten LGA of Kwara State.
According to the statement signed spokesman of the Kwara Command of the NCS, Mr Chado Zakari, the hoodlums shot sporadically and pelted the officers with other dangerous items while in transit with jerry cans of petrol and bags of rice abandoned by smugglers.
It was disclosed that three other customs officials sustained various varying degrees of injury and are being treated in an undisclosed hospital.
The dead officer, Mr Zakari said, has been buried according to Islamic rites in his home town, Popogbona, in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State.
He said Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, Representatives of DSS, NPF, ONSA, NIA, immigration and other security agencies had visited the family of the deceased to commiserate with them and prayed for the deceased officer whose sacrifice is deeply appreciated and held in high esteem.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of JBPT, Mr Olugboyega Peters, has ordered a full-scale investigation to fish out perpetrators of the attack, stating that, “This trend of unprovoked attacks by faceless cowards whose intention is to instil fear in the minds of law enforcement operatives shall not go unpunished.”
“This will not dampen the resolve of officers and men from carrying out their statutory functions,” he stressed.
While thanking the intervention and reinforcements from JBPT Headquarters Team, JBPT Ilesha Baruba, Kwara Command, Customs Police and 224 Recce Battalion of the Nigeria Army for swift action, he said the sector would continue to prosecute the anti-smuggling crusade despite the unwarranted attacks.
