Ogun Ambush: Customs Officer Killed as Anti-Smuggling Crackdown Nets N3.3bn Seizures, 1.4 Tonnes of Cannabis

FOU Zone A records 144 interceptions across South-West corridor, arrests eight suspects and hands over massive drug haul to NDLEA.

A Nigeria Customs Service officer has been killed in an ambush by suspected smugglers in Ogun State, underscoring the growing risks faced by security operatives in the country’s anti-smuggling campaign.

Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Mustapha Akiyode, was shot dead in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, along the Ilara–Ijoun axis of Imeko-Afon Local Government Area while on an operation with the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A.

The Comptroller of FOU Zone A, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed the incident during his maiden press briefing at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, describing the officer’s death as a painful sacrifice in the fight against economic sabotage.

“We lost a brave and committed officer in the course of duty. His sacrifice will not be forgotten, and it strengthens our resolve to intensify the fight against smuggling,” Aliyu said.

144 Smuggling Attempts Foiled

Despite the tragedy, the Unit recorded sweeping operational successes under a newly introduced intelligence-driven strategy aimed at dismantling smuggling networks across the South-West border corridor.

Aliyu revealed that officers intercepted 144 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and uncustomed goods within a short period.

Items seized include:

• 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice
• 77 bags of foreign sugar
• 21 used vehicles
• 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil
• 20,700 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)
• 915 bales of used clothing
• 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste
• A 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets

The Customs boss said the seizures reflect renewed operational vigour backed by intelligence gathering, surveillance, and coordinated enforcement.

Major Drug Bust: 1,431kg of Cannabis

In what Aliyu described as a significant breakthrough, the Unit also intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica weighing about 1,431 kilograms.

The drugs were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for investigation and prosecution in line with inter-agency collaboration protocols.

According to Aliyu, drug trafficking is closely linked to other violent crimes.

“Drug trafficking emboldens criminal elements, erodes societal values, and destabilises the nation. Those involved should abandon this path and embrace legitimate trade,” he warned.

N3.31bn Duty Paid Value, Eight Arrests

Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value of N3.31 billion.

The NDLEA commended the Customs Service for its professionalism and assured that the seized drugs would be disposed of according to legal procedures.

Aliyu reaffirmed the Unit’s commitment to intelligence-led operations, enhanced officer safety, and sustained collaboration with other security agencies to curb smuggling and related crimes.

The death of ASC Akiyode, he said, is a grim reminder that the fight against smuggling is not without cost.