Nigerian Customs Confirm Attack On Personnel In Sokoto

….says only one died in the accident

Olakunle Maruf Sokoto

The Nigerian Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara States command has confirmed that suspected hoodlums attacks it’s personnel and set ablaze one operational vehicle and one private car in the process.

A press statement signed by the spokesman of tbe command, ASCI Tahir Balarabe, and made available to newsmen in the state on Tuesday also confirmed that one live was lost in the incident.

Balarabe, in the statement said the command having received information based on intelligence gathered that some vehicles were in the process of smuggles contraband through the land bother in Illela, to the country.

According to him, “on the 2nd of January, 2022 officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Command mobile Team ‘A’ based on credible intelligence of some smuggled goods, mounted a stop and search operation at Asara village along Sokoto Illela Road.

“At about 0800hrs a vehicle Toyota Avensis with tinted glass believed to be conveying smuggled items was flagged down for search but the driver upon sighting officers tried to escape and in the process almost knock down one of the officer who quickly jumped out of his way, but unfortunately, the vehicle ran into an oncoming commercial vehicle which led to a head on collision that resulted to the death of one passenger while others sustained injuries and were taken to the nearly Hospital for treatment.

“However, some unscrupulous elements who disguised as sympathizers mobbed our officers at the point and in the process set one Patrol vehicle and private vehicle belonging to one of the officers ablaze.

“In order to contain the situation from further escalation, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdulhameed Ma’aji sent a reinforcement team who succeeded in restoring law and order in the area.

The statement further disclosed that the Area Controller while sympathizing with the victims of the accident, appealed to the General Public to always support the Service in its effort to block all uncustoms goods from coming into the country through our Borders.

He said, “as we all know, the Country is currently experiencing Security challenges, and Customs cannot do it alone.  Hence everybody has a role to play