Multi-million Naira Customs Armoured Vehicles Rot Away

Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), apparently acquired by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), to boost anti-smuggling operations in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun states are currently rotting away due to non-usage amid the smuggling of contraband goods into the country.

Though the service had procured the armoured vehicles in 2014 to fight daredevil smugglers who have been attacking Customs officers in the course of their operation, investigation shows that the ammunition rots away.

For instance, in April 2018, a Customs officer, Rasheed Abdulsalam, attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Lagos was kidnapped after a fierce battle with smugglers.

Some of his colleagues also sustained various degrees of injuries in the bloody anti-smuggling operation that occurred at night around Gateway Hotel, Ota, Ogun State.

Abdulsalam, till date has not been found as sources in the Unit said he has been killed by the smugglers that kidnapped him.

Also, in January, 2019, smugglers killed another customs officer, Hamisu Sani, and injured an inspector, Tijani Michael, during an ambush at Asero community in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The operatives attached to the Ogun Area Command of the command were on a routine anti-smuggling patrol in an attempt to secure eight vehicles loaded with smuggled rice kept in the Asero community.

Another FOU operative, Yakubu Shuaibu, was also shot dead by suspected smugglers in Ogun State in April 2019.

The victim, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, was killed at Akinrun village, Oja – Odan axis in Yewa North Local Government Area. The smugglers, who ambushed the operatives who were on patrol, also injured one of them, identified as Joseph.

On 12th September, 2021, a Customs Assistant 1 was killed in the Owode area of Ogun state after two vehicles laden with smuggled foreign parboiled rice, were seized and were being taken to Lagos, in the course of the movement, one of the vehicles developed a mechanical problem and as it was being fixed, the suspected smugglers mobilised themselves in large number with arms, charms, stones, and other dangerous objects, to murder the deceased officer.

On the 28th of October, 2022, suspected smugglers also killed a Customs Officer attached to the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ in Ogun state and dumped his lifeless body in the pit.

The incident happened at Fagbohun village of Yewa South Local Government Area in the state when the officers arrived in the village for an operation.

The smugglers unleashed terror on the patrol team, and two officers got missing in the battle. However, the lifeless body of one of the officers was found the next day while the other is still missing.

However, a usually authoritative source had disclosed to LEADERSHIP that about 10 operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Lagos have been killed while about 20  have been injured by dare devil smugglers in the last four years.

Also, the Ogun State command of the service loses officers to smugglers who most of the time ambush and kill them while on routine patrol or anti-smuggling patrol.

In Kwara state, Smugglers laid ambush for Customs officers on patrol, killing one and injuring about three earlier in the year.

Sources especially anti-smuggling operatives have disclosed that the anti-smuggling units of the service lack functional and fortified armoured vehicles to combat smugglers headlong in the country.

However, stakeholders have posited that if the armoured vehicles are put into use by the service, smugglers attacking operatives on legitimate duties will reduce to the barest minimum.

They, however, wondered why the service would abandon anti-smuggling vehicles while smugglers are having field day by killing Customs officers.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, a clearing agent, Sylvester Nnamdi, operating at Apapa port, asked why the service isn’t putting the service Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) into use.

He said, “The customs CG should be asked why the APCs are not been put into use. Was it due to maintenance or logistics issues?” he asked.

He stated that the death of officers recorded while facing smugglers would have been avoided if the APC are put into effective use.

Also speaking, another Clearing agent operating at the Idiroko border, Shina Ajayi, disclosed that most of the time when smugglers attack Customs officers, it is always because their vehicles are not armoured.

According to him, armoured vehicles will protect them against smugglers’ gun attacks, saying Customs Officers with armoured vehicles will never attack officers on legitimate duties.

He said, “The government is buying Hilux for them for anti-smuggling operations but those vehicles are not armoured vehicles and guns can easily penetrate them. With the APC, no smuggler will dare the officers when on patrol. No gun, whether machine or an assault rifle can penetrate an armoured vehicle.

“I will advise the Comptroller General of Customs to activate the armoured carriers procured in 2014 or they purchase a new one because no life of an office worth a bag of rice,” he stated.