How smugglers killed Customs officer at Seme border

By Godwin Oritse

Tragedy struck last week when dare-devil smugglers killed a Customs officer whose identity is yet to be ascertained at the Seme border Command of the Nigeria Custom Service.

Vanguard gathered that trouble started when the smugglers protested the high extortion fee being demanded by the Customs officers for the passage of their goods..

It  was further gathered that the Smugglers also accused the officers of arresting their colleagues after exhorting money from them.

It was said that a similar scenario played out earlier at the Seme Command which led to a face-off between the smugglers and the officer which resulted in the death of the officer.

Confirming the development, Public Relations officer of the Command, Mr Ernest Olotta,  told Vanguard that there was a protest by some youths in the Gbagi area of Seme over the death of one their colleagues suspected to be a smuggler.

Olotta told Vanguard that the deceased suspect was coming from across the border carrying poultry products. On sighting a team of anti-smuggling officers around Gbagi, he drove into the bush, which necessitated a chase by the officers.

The Command spokes man explained that it was in the course of the chase,  that the suspected smuggler ran into some objects that led to his death.

He stated that both the products and the vehicle have been taken to the Seme border for further investigation.

An eye witness present at the scene of the event told Vanguard that in the course of the pursuit by Customs, the smuggler’s vehicle somersaulted and killed two of the smugglers on the spot.

The death of the smugglers, however, led to an attack on the officers by youths of the area.