Some suspected drugs smugglers have killed two officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in Kebbi State, North-West Nigeria.
The officers are; Kabiru Shehu Abdullahi and Abdullahi Mohammed.
Their killing is coming barely a month an officer was killed by same smugglers.
The Kebbi State Command Comptroller, Dr Ben Oramalugo, who disclosed the unfortunate incident to the newsmen, said the officers were killed around 1am on Friday, when they were checking the car booth of the smugglers.
Oramalugo said the incident happened between Bunza-Dakin Gari-Koko road while they were on information patrol.
He said, “There was proliferation of hard drug when I resumed at the Command and I started fighting them, making seizures, and making arrests. There are rich men into this and they are not happy with me. There is a route they used to pass and I sent my men there.
“In this particular incident, my men saw a vehicle suspected to be conveying drugs, and the officers ordered them to open their booth and they opened fire on them while they were checking. My men were taken unaware.”
He noted that before a backup could arrive at the scene the hoodlums had escaped and “that’s the hazard of the job.”
The Controller explained that he has been trying to boost the morale of his men and compensate the families of the deceased.
“We will continue to seize illegal goods, and make arrests. We need help in prosecution so that suspects are not released back to the streets.”
Oramalugo, however, vowed that they would not stop in their mandates of the Nigeria Customs Service in suppressing smuggling, facilitation of trade, security, revenue generation and enhancement of civil customs civil relationship to the host communities.
