At least one Customs officer and a smuggler were killed yesterday as Customs officers and smugglers and their collaborators at the Seme border; Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic in Lagos state engaged one another in a fierce battle.
The development paralysed activities at the highly sensitive border as the Seme border command of the Customs had to seek the assistance of the Army and the Police to contain the situation.
At least one Customs officer and a smuggler were killed yesterday as Customs officers and smugglers and their collaborators at the Seme border; Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic in Lagos state engaged one another in a fierce battle.
The development paralysed activities at the highly sensitive border as the Seme border command of the Customs had to seek the assistance of the Army and the Police to contain the situation.
Sources at the fracas which reportedly started in the morning, confirmed to our correspondents that trouble started at the Seme border when a smuggler allegedly attempted to forcefully cross the border with items suspected to be contraband.
“The Customs stopped him, but he refused, in the process of forcing him to comply, an officer shot him dead”, one source told Shipping Position Daily.
In reprisal, those sympathetic to the dead smuggler regrouped and reportedly any attacked Customs officers in sight.
In the mayhem, a senior customs officer was killed by the rampaging smugglers and their cohorts from neighbouring villages.
Even though the identity of the dead smuggler and the officer could not be ascertained immediately, Shipping Position Daily gathered that it took the intervention of soldiers who were drafted from the nearby Ibereko Barracks to the border to restore law and order.
Chairman of the Seme Border Chapter of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Custom Agents (ANLCA) Mr. Patrick Ozobialu told Shipping Position Daily that the crisis also led to the burning of so many vehicles.
"I had to turn back at Gbaji, I was on my way to the border when I was told to turn back, I quickly ran for my life, I can confirm to you that there is crisis at Seme border"
Before the arrival of the soldiers, eye witnesses recounted that the crisis began at about 10am and that a Toyota Hilux van, was among vehicles burnt by the rampaging villagers.
However , the Seme border command, in a statement through its Public Relations Officer; Mr Ernest Olottah later confirmed the death of the senior officer.
The Command, in the statement made available to Shipping Position Daily quoted the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Comptroller Othman Abdu Saleh as saying that: ''This is indeed a sad day for us here in this command, but let it me emphasised that we are not relenting in the discharge of our duty as we will not allow the darkness of criminality to dampen the light of our service to our great country, Nigeria. We, in collaboration with the police and under security agencies, hope to arrest and bring the perpetrators of this crime to book''.
The statement further said that: “With heavy and sorrowful heart, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service announce the gruesome killing of one of our Senior Officers by some smugglers in the Ashipa area of Seme on Thursday 29th August 2013 at about 0950hrs. “
“The deceased Customs officer while in his official uniform unarmed and driving to the Command’s headquarter for a routine meeting was accosted by a mob who forced him out of his vehicle. Buoyed by an identified Chief of the community, the officer was murdered in cold blood and his vehicle set ablaze”.
Recounting its anti-smuggling achievements, and reaffirming its commitment to fight the courge of smuggling, it added that, “it is worth noting that the intensification of our anti smuggling operation which has led to the making of over 686 seizures since January 2013 has placed us on the danger of attacks like this from criminals who are being prevented from using the border for the anti economic and other nefarious activities”.
The statement added that : “Our operatives due to their uncompromising stance against smuggling and protecting the nation's economy have come under series of attacks by smugglers and some unpatriotic elements who see smuggling as their right. In some cases attempts made at disarming some of our operatives in the recent past were rebuffed”.
The controller was also quoted to have stressed that” this unfortunate incident will not deter operatives of the command under his watch from carrying out their lawful duties”, even as he assured that the culprits would be brought to justice.
Yesterday’s fracas is happening barely one month after a trigger-happy customs officer allegedly shot a villager and injured three others at the same Seme Border.
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