Six persons were killed on Sunday, May 1st, after the men of
the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun State Command, confronted smugglers at
Oke-Odan, in the Yewa South Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were said to have been three children and three
adult residents of the town, who were hit by stray bullets during the
shoot-out.
Reports gathered that the customs officials were chasing
after the smugglers, who were in two vehicles, filled with bags of rice. The
vehicles were coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin
Republic and were heading towards Sango, in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government
Area of the state.
According to some witnesses, the customs officials caught up
with the smugglers, seized the vehicles and were driving them to their
Idi-Iroko office before they were surrounded at Oke Odan by some suspected
smugglers.
The clash reportedly led to the death of three children, a
roadside mechanic, panel beater and a secondary school leaver, simply
identified as Ade.
A witness reportedly said, “The customs officers later
called for reinforcement. When they arrived at the scene, they started another
round of gun battle with the smugglers, during which stray bullets hit
the victims, while others sustained injuries. Some customs officers
also sustained injuries in the clash.”
Both the state Police Public Relations Officer,
Muyiwa Adejobi , and the Public Relations Officer, NCS, Ogun Command,
Usman Abubakar, however, said two people died.
Abubakar said that three customs officers sustained injuries
during the clash, and three of their (Customs) checkpoints were burnt down.
Abubakar said, “Two people have been confirmed dead. Our
officers were attacked by smugglers on their way to Idi-Iroko office after
seizing two vehicles loaded with rice at Ajilete.
“These smugglers used guns, cutlasses, broken bottles and
even stoned our officers with a view to recovering their vehicles. They injured
three officers.
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