The Nigeria Customs Service‘s Kebbi State Command has reported that on Thursday, gunmen in the state who were thought to be bandits killed two of its employees.
In a press release he made accessible to newsmen in the state on Friday morning, Mubarak Mustapha, the assistant superintendent of customs who serves as the command’s spokeswoman in the state, acknowledged this.
According to the statement, a shooting broke out between the team and the alleged bandits in a Toyota Corolla while they were conducting a stop-and-search operation along the Bunza- Dankingari- Koko road.
“On Thursday, 24th August 2023, at about 0128hrs, a team of Kebbi Area Command officers and men of the Nigeria Customs, while on a stop-and-search operation based on credible information along Bunza – Dakingari – Koko Road, were engaged with heavy gunfire by suspected bandits in an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle.
“In the melee that ensued, two personnel of the Command, named Alhaji Kabiru Shehu, an Inspector of Customs and Abdullahi Muhammad, a Customs Assistant II, paid the supreme price.
“The officers have since been laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
“While praying for the repose of the deceased, the Command has launched a manhunt for the suspects with the view to arrest and prosecute them”
The Customs Area Area Controller, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, expressed sympathy to the families for the unfortunate tragedy and prayed that God Almighty would give them the strength to endure the loss, according to the statement.
The CAC also exhorts the general public to offer information regarding the whereabouts of alleged smugglers and other criminals, while guaranteeing the complete confidentiality of such informants.