By John Adeoluwa Bravo
An Assistant Superintendent of Customs- Chidi Johnson was hacked down by suspected smugglers at Ipokia area of Ogun State.
The officer who was in the company of other personnel on routine operation sustained deep cuts in various parts of his body.
The incident occurred on Friday evening while officers and men of Nigeria Customs Service Ogun I Command went on information patrol to Ilashe village, Ipokia LGA, Ogun state.
The Customs men were able to intercept 35 bags of parboiled 50kg rice, being smuggled in a convoy of motorcycle known as “okada”.
However, the personnel were attacked by the suspected smugglers who had mobilized in numbers against the officers on patrol.
In an effort to repel the attack without fatality, the said ASP Johnson was caught under assorted weapons handled by the suspected smugglers.
Though, the officer had sustained serious cuts in sensitive parts of his body, he was said to be responding to intensive medical treatment.
In a release signed by the Ogun Customs spokesperson- Abdullahi Maiwada, it was indicated that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and are undergoing interrogation.
The Ogun Customs Command expressed shock that- while the global community was battling Covid-19, smugglers were doubling energy to transport contrabands across borders and more so on a day in which the state government had declared total lock down.
While praying for a quick end to Covid-19 pandemic, the command warned smuggling cartels to stop taking advantage of unemployed youths to perpetrate criminal activities.
