CUSTOMS OFFICER KILLED IN OGUN AMBUSH AS FOU ZONE ‘A’ INTERCEPTS N3.3BN WORTH OF SMUGGLED GOODS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, has confirmed the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Mustapha Akiyode, who was fatally shot by suspected smugglers during an ambush in Ogun State.

Akiyode was killed in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, while on official duty along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, a border corridor notorious for smuggling activities.

Speaking during his maiden press briefing at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, described the incident as “a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by officers engaged in border enforcement.”

Despite the loss, Aliyu said the command had intensified operations through a revamped intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy, yielding significant results across its area of responsibility.

According to him, the new approach led to the interception of 144 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and uncustomed goods. Items seized included 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, 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste, and a 20-foot container of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.

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Aliyu also disclosed a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, with operatives intercepting 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica weighing 1,431 kilograms.

He warned that drug trafficking poses serious security threats, noting that illicit drugs fuel violence and national instability.

“Drug trafficking emboldens perpetrators, erodes morale, and destabilises the nation. Those involved should embrace legitimate trade or face the full consequences of the law,” he said.

Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦3.32bn. The seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.

The Customs command reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders despite the risks faced by officers in the line of duty.