…Officers repel mob ambush during rice seizure
…Command vows sustained anti-smuggling offensive
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, has recorded a second violent attack on its officers within one week during an anti-smuggling operation in Ogun State, underscoring growing resistance to intensified enforcement activities.
The latest incident occurred at about 6am on Saturday, 31 January 2026, along a bush path at Alapoti in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, where Customs officers on routine patrol intercepted a convoy of motorcycles conveying smuggled foreign parboiled rice.
According to the Command, 46 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice were seized and loaded into an official patrol vehicle as the officers withdrew from the area.
However, while exiting the location, the patrol team was ambushed by a large mob armed with Dane guns, stones, bottles and charms in what was described as a coordinated attempt to overpower the officers and recover the seized items.
The Command said the officers maintained their ground and repelled the attack after an intense confrontation that lasted about 30 minutes.
During the clash, one of the attackers sustained injuries and later died, while a suspect who claimed ownership of the seized rice was arrested and is currently under investigation.
The incident came barely one week after suspected smugglers attacked Customs officers at Akokoro area of Iwoye in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, where two personnel sustained life-threatening gunshot injuries and are still receiving medical treatment.
The Ogun I Command linked the recent spate of attacks to renewed and aggressive anti-smuggling operations, which it said have resulted in significant seizures of arms, ammunition, narcotics and other prohibited items within its area of responsibility.
Reacting to the incident, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and a direct assault on the rule of law.
Afeni said the Command would not be deterred by violent resistance, warning that all those involved would be identified and brought to justice.
He assured law-abiding residents of the area of the Command’s continued commitment to their safety and the enforcement of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, while reaffirming the Service’s resolve to sustain its anti-smuggling operations across Ogun State.
