Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday raised the alarm as suspected smugglers severely cut the left arm of one of its officers in Ifonyintedo axis of Ogun State Customs Command.
Its Public Relations Officer (PRO) Joseph Attah told our correspondent in Abuja the officer was attacked last Wednesday while in an operation to seize smuggled vehicles in the creek of the community.
Describing the officer simply as an Assistant Superintendent, Attah said he was one of the operatives acting on the intelligence to prevent smuggling of vehicles through the creek.
His words: โThe case in point happened exactly at Ifonyintedo axis of Ogun State Command. There is a particular creek there.
โOur operatives, based on credible information that some vehicles were being smuggled through the creek went there but only to be visited with violence.
โSome of these smugglers pay some youths, arm them to hide in the bush and descend on our officers.
โIt was a life threatening injury that was sustained by this officer, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs.
โHis left hand was badly macheted very close to his shoulder. He is in the hospital where doctors are battling to see if they can save him from amputation.โ
He noted in situations as this, the law allows customs officers bearing arms to use reasonable force but criminals take the officers for granted since the management urged them to be cautious with arms.
Lamenting, the PRO said that โa situation where somebody with a machete will move straight with somebody who is bearing firearm without the fear of being shot clearly shows that the exercise of caution on the part of the customs operative is being taken for granted.โ
According to him, the officers succeeded in apprehending the vehicles, which they took to a Customs station.
He said that investigation into the incident has commenced.
