GUNMEN KILL CUSTOMS OFFICER AT CHECKPOINT IN KEBBI STATE

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

An unidentified officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was shot dead on Monday by suspected gunmen at the Fingila checkpoint in Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

According to residents, the armed men — about seven in number and riding motorcycles — first invaded nearby farms, where they reportedly harassed farmers, seized food items, and forced them to eat from their own meals before confiscating the rest.

“They entered the farms and asked the farmers to taste the food they brought from home. After forcing them to take a bite, the gunmen ate the remaining food and told the farmers to leave, saying there would be no farming today,” a villager, Malam Abdulrasheed, recounted.

The attackers later advanced toward the main road, where they confronted a Customs officer seated near a mosque. Witnesses said the gunmen opened fire, striking him fatally as he attempted to flee into a maize field.

Two other officers at the scene managed to escape by crawling through the maize field, though they reportedly sustained minor injuries.

Local sources identified the slain officer as a native of Maiduguri, Borno State, known to frequently sit near the mosque in Fingila village.

As of press time, the Nigeria Customs Service in Kebbi State had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.