Ogun Customs Loses Officer to Smugglers, Records N3.3bn Seizures
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, has announced the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC I) Mustapha Akiyode, who was killed in the line of duty during an ambush by suspected smugglers in Ogun State.
Akiyode was reportedly shot in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area while participating in a border enforcement operation.
Speaking during his maiden press briefing at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, on the same day, the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, described the incident as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by officers engaged in frontline border security duties.
Aliyu expressed condolences to the family of the slain officer and reiterated the Service’s resolve to intensify enforcement operations despite the setback.
At the briefing, the Comptroller unveiled a renewed intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy, which he said has already recorded significant operational successes across the Unit’s area of responsibility.
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According to him, the strategy led to the interception of 144 smuggling attempts involving various prohibited and uncustomed goods. Items seized include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, and 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste under Nigerian law and relevant international conventions.
Also intercepted was a 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
“Upon assumption of duty a few weeks ago, I made a clear commitment that we would confront smuggling syndicates with renewed vigour, professional discipline and total respect for the rule of law and human dignity,” Aliyu said.
In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, he disclosed that officers of the Unit intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic variant of cannabis indica, weighing 1,431 kilograms, a development he said had significantly disrupted drug supply routes within the Unit’s operational corridor.
Aliyu warned that drug trafficking fuels banditry, terrorism and other forms of criminality, urging those involved to abandon the illicit trade or face the full weight of the law.
“Drug trafficking provides chemical catalysts that embolden criminals, erode societal values and destabilise the nation. Our determination to combat this menace remains resolute,” he said.
Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3.32 billion.
He added that, in line with inter-agency cooperation, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution. The NDLEA, he said, commended the Customs Service for its diligence and assured that the drugs would be handled and disposed of in accordance with the law.
By PRNigeria
