Two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, are currently receiving intensive medical care after sustaining gunshot injuries during a violent attack by suspected armed drug traffickers during an anti-smuggling operation in Ogun State.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Zakari Chado, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, said it happened on Thursday, 22 January 2026, at about 4:00 pm at the Akokoro area of Iwoye in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of the state.
According to the statement, the officers were acting on credible intelligence when they intercepted a 12-tyre truck suspected to be conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs and other prohibited items.
However, before reinforcement teams could arrive, the suspects mobilised a large number of armed hoodlums and launched a coordinated attack on the patrol team.
In an attempt to obstruct law enforcement efforts, the attackers reportedly mounted heavy barricades at about nine strategic points, blocking access routes and preventing timely reinforcement.
They also opened fire on the officers and disabled a Customs patrol vehicle by shooting out its tyres, creating what the Service described as a volatile and dangerous operational environment. During the exchange, two Customs officers sustained gunshot injuries and were critically wounded.
According to the statement, the smugglers took advantage of the multiple barricades to flee the scene with the intercepted truck, adding that investigation into the incident has commenced to identify, track and apprehend all those involved in the attack.
Reacting to the development, the Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric, and reaffirmed that such violent resistance would not deter the Command or the Service from discharging its statutory mandate.
Afeni also called on traditional rulers and community leaders within the Command’s area of responsibility to caution their subjects against smuggling and attacks on security personnel, warning that offenders would face the full weight of the law.
He assured law-abiding members of the public of their safety and reiterated the Service’s unwavering commitment to border security, public health and the enforcement of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
