One dead as Customs officers are ambushed in Ogun State

Operatives of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, were ambushed while on a routine anti-smuggling patrol along a bush route in Alapoti, within Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area. 

The latest attack occurred at about 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026. 

In a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs Zakari Chado, the patrol team intercepted several motorcycles conveying smuggled foreign parboiled rice during the operation. 

The officers seized 46 bags of 50-kilogramme foreign parboiled rice, which were promptly loaded into an official patrol vehicle for evacuation. 

The situation, however, escalated as the team attempted to leave the area. 

According to the statement, a large group of individuals armed with Dane guns, stones, bottles and suspected charms launched an ambush in what was believed to be an effort to reclaim the confiscated goods. 

Customs officers reportedly held their ground and repelled the attackers after a fierce confrontation that lasted for about 30 minutes. 

One of the assailants sustained injuries during the clash and later di£d, while a suspect who claimed ownership of the seized rice was arrested and is currently in custody for further investigation. 

This comes barely a week after a similar incident in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area left two Customs personnel critically injured. 

The command attributed the recurring attacks on its personnel to sustained enforcement actions against smuggling activities in the area, which have led to increased seizures of prohibited items. 

It described the assaults as a calculated attempt by criminal networks to obstruct legitimate enforcement operations and weaken national security efforts. 

Commenting on the development, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a direct affront to the rule of law. 

He stressed that such acts of violence would not discourage the service from carrying out its lawful duties, while reaffirming the command’s resolve to protect lives, secure communities and enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.