Dare-devil smugglers last weekend injured three officers of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service at after seizing their rice-laden boat along the Bawe Creek in Badagry around the boundary between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
However, controller of the command; Mr Umar Yusuf vowed yesterday that Customs would track down the smugglers who attacked the officers.
The identities of the officers were given as: Senu Suru Mark, Razaq Muhammed Jamiu and Musa Ibrahim Idris.
Dare-devil smugglers last weekend injured three officers of the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service at after seizing their rice-laden boat along the Bawe Creek in Badagry around the boundary between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
However, controller of the command; Mr Umar Yusuf vowed yesterday that Customs would track down the smugglers who attacked the officers.
The identities of the officers were given as: Senu Suru Mark, Razaq Muhammed Jamiu and Musa Ibrahim Idris.
The Controller of the command said, notwithstanding the attack, his officers were able to subdue the smugglers and were able to seize about 4,000 bags of parboiled 50 kilogramme of rice that were loaded on a jumbo size wooden boat headed for Nigeria.
Apart from the rice, two locally made guns and many knifes were also seized by the officers.
Addressing journalists in the command yesterday in Lagos, Comptroller Umar said that the boat was intercepted in the wee hours of last Friday.
Umar told journalist that, "the smugglers fail to realise that officers of western marine command are fully trained in the usage of AK47"
"We have enough AK47, we have enough arms and ammunition and that is why we subdued them and in the process some of them jumped into the river with bullet wounds, I don't know whether they are dead or alive".
“The smugglers opened fire, but the gallant officers were able to subdue them and they fled, leaving their machetes and guns.
“They did not want my officers to come back alive, but God intervened and the officers fought a good fight.
“We are ensuring that we track down the smugglers wherever they are and we will do so squarely because we are equal to the task,’’ Yusuf said.
He said despite the injury sustained by his officers, the boat and the seized items were dragged to the command’s base at Ibafon, pointing out that "we suspected that this boat came from Cotonou axis".
Giving as insight into the quantum of the seizure, the Controller said, “we can’t say precisely the number of bags in the boat, but this type of boat carries over 4000 bags and for my officers to bring the boat to our command they have to remove 500 bags, which are already in the warehouse"
Umar said removal of the 500 bags made it possible for his officers to drag the craft to base noting that it took several hours for the boat to get to the command. He said the operation lasted for about two hours.
"The seizure which took place during the wee hours of the night on Friday June 12, 2015 by the joint patrol teams did not leave the officers without casualties this time"
"Some of the officers sustained serious of injuries which include, head cut with machete, knife cuts on the hand and leg, one officer was actually stabbed from the attack of the smuggler"
"Some of the instruments used to attack the officers include machete, locally made guns and knife, the controller added.
He further added that the value of the seized bags of rice will run into millions stating in addition that officers are yet to count the total number of rice laden boats.
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