Officer killed, three injured as ‘hoodlums’ ambush customs patrol team in Kwara

An officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been confirmed dead, following a reported ambush by hoodlums in Batuten LGA of Kwara state.

Chado Zakari, spokesman of the Kwara command of the NCS, announced the development on Monday.

The ambush, which was said to have occurred along the Sinau-Kenu road in Baruten LGA on Friday, also led to three officers sustaining injuries.

According to a statement by Zakari, the hoodlums shot sporadically at the vehicle conveying the officers, who had recovered “some abandoned thirty jerry cans of PMS and forty bags of rice”.

“However, one of the officers paid the supreme price while three others sustained various varying degrees of injury and are being treated in an undisclosed hospital,” the statement reads.

“The deceased, ASCI Saheed Aweda, has been buried according to Islamic rites in his home town, Popogbona in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara State.

“Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, Representatives of DSS, NPF, ONSA, NIA, Immigration and other security agencies have visited the family of the deceased to commiserate with them and prayed for the deceased officer whose sacrifice is deeply appreciated and held in high esteem.”

Zakari also said Olugboyega Peters, the coordinator of the joint border patrol team, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident.

“This trend of unprovoked attacks by faceless cowards whose intention is to instill fear in the minds of law enforcement operatives shall not go unpunished; neither will it dampen the resolve of officers and men from carrying out their statutory functions,” he was quoted as saying.