Two Customs officers are killed in Kebbi by gunmen

The Nigeria Customs Service’s Kebbi State Command has confirmed that two of its employees were killed by gunmen in the state on Thursday who were thought to be bandits.

In a press release he made available to newsmen in the state on Friday morning, the command’s spokesman in the state, Assistant Superintendent of Customs Mubarak Mustapha, confirmed this.

According to the statement, a shootout broke out between the team and suspected bandits driving a Toyota Corolla along the Bunza-Dankingari-Koko road as they conducted a stop-and-search operation.

“On Thursday, August 24, 2023, at around 01:30 a.m., while conducting a stop-and-search operation based on reliable information along the Bunza – Dakingari – Koko Road, a team of Kebbi Area Command officers and men of the Nigeria Customs were engaged with heavy gunfire by suspected bandits in an ash-colored Toyota Corolla vehicle.

Alhaji Kabiru Shehu, a customs inspector, and Abdullahi Muhammad, a customs assistant II, both members of the Command, paid the ultimate price in the ensuing melee.

The officers have since been buried using Islamic customs.

The Command has started a manhunt for the suspects in order to apprehend and prosecute them while also praying for the deceased’s peace.

According to the statement, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, the Customs Area Area Controller, expressed his condolences to the families for the tragic event and prayed that God Almighty would give them the strength to deal with the loss.

Assuring such informants of strict confidentiality, the CAC also exhorts members of the public to offer information regarding the whereabouts of alleged smugglers and other criminals.