Men suspected to be smugglers on Wednesday attacked officers of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, injuring three of them.
A press statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Theophilus Duniya, alleged that the suspected smugglers mobilised mobs to attack the FOU officers, but they were able to repel the attack and moved intercepted smuggled items to the unit headquarters, Ikeja.
The statement read: “This morning at about 5.00 hours on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 daredevil smugglers attacked a patrol team of officers of the Federal Operations Unit Zone A, who were on lawful duty.
“The officers who were on routine patrol intercepted vehicles fully loaded with smuggled frozen poultry products as well as foreign used vehicles also known as tokunbo along Aradagun end of Badagry- Seme Expressway.”
It added, “Our officers after interception and attempt to evacuate the smuggled items to the office were attacked by mobs who were mobilised by the smugglers.
“The mobs attacked our officers with dangerous weapons such as broken bottles, stones, petrol bombs as well as assaulted rifles.
“As the mob attack ensued, there was an exchange of fire; three of our officers sustained various degrees of injuries, perhaps among the mob as well.”
He added that the officers were able to successfully evacuate the intercepted poultry products to the Unit’s Headquarters in Ikeja.
