Customs officer killed and ₦3.32bn in smuggled goods seized
Three to four sentences introducing the story. Assistant Superintendent of Customs Mustapha Akiyode was fatally shot by suspected smugglers in Ogun State. The incident occurred during an ambush along a notorious smuggling route. Gambo Aliyu, Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, highlighted the dangers officers face and detailed major anti-smuggling successes following the tragedy. February 3, 2026 was explicitly mentioned as the date of the fatal ambush.
TLDR
- Assistant Superintendent of Customs Mustapha Akiyode was killed in an ambush by suspected smugglers along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, Ogun State, in the early hours of February 3, 2026.
- The Nigeria Customs Service intercepted 144 smuggling attempts, seizing items like 6,954 bags of foreign rice, 77 bags of sugar, 21 used vehicles, and 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil.
- A major drug bust resulted in the seizure of 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis indica, weighing 1,431 kilograms, which was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
- Eight suspects were arrested, and the total Duty Paid Value of the seized goods was ₦3.32bn.
- Gambo Aliyu reaffirmed the Customs command’s commitment to border security despite the risks faced by officers.
