Pandemonium as smugglers, customs exchange gunfire in Ogun

There was pandemonium in Olorunlere village in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government of Ogun State when suspected rice smugglers and men of the Ogun 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) exchanged gunfire near Alapoti, not far from Olorunlere.

This is even as the Customs has confirmed the disappearance of one of its officers, CA I (T) Taiwo J Odeyemi whose whereabouts is yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing in this report.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Friday, Spokesman of the Ogun 1 Command of the NCS, Hammed Bukoye Oloyede explained that the smugglers, in order to evade arrest by the Customs patrol team, started shooting at the Customs, who in turn responded with firepower.

According to the statement, “On Thursday, 3rd of December, 2020 at about 12:10 hours, a team of Officers and Men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Command while on routine mobile patrol along with Olorunlere village, near Alapoti, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State intercepted some vehicles loaded with bags of foreign parboiled rice.

“The suspected smugglers, sensing their loss on sighting the patrol team, attempted to evade arrest and eventually started shooting sporadically at the Officers. This resulted in a serious exchange of fire between the two sides.

“Consequently, the patrol team called for reinforcement. However, before the intervention from other units, they were overwhelmed due to the numeric strength of the smugglers/hoodlums. In the ensuing commotion, the Customs team tactically withdrew to enable the arrival of the reinforcements teams.

“On the arrival of the military personnel and other units of Customs including Federal Operations Unit (FOU) as requested by the CAC, the hoodlums had already vandalised one of the official vehicles attached to the team. It was later discovered that an official driver, CA I (T) Taiwo J Odeyemi was missing and has not been found as at the time of writing this report.

“In the light of the above, investigation is ongoing and effort is being made along with other security agencies and other critical stakeholders to locate the whereabouts of the missing officer and rescue him alive.

“To this end, the CAC strongly warn smugglers and their supporters that the incessant attacks leave Officers with no other choice than to use appropriate force to deal with these new waves of criminal attacks on personnel performing their statutory functions.

The Command is not deterred by this and will step up its offensive against those whose interest is to make profits at the expense of the Nation. Finally, the CAC has vowed to ensure that those behind this attack face the full wrath of the law and justice.”

For some residents of Olorunlere, the shooting sent much scampering into their homes as nobody knew where the exchange of gunfire was coming from.

When we started hearing the shooting, many ran into their homes because it all started suddenly. We didn’t know who was shooting or being shot at,” a resident who begged not to have his name in print explained to Tribune Online.

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