By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—Pandemonium broke out, Sunday evening, at Oke- Odan township in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, following the alleged killing of three children and four others by Customs officers while pursuing smugglers.

Attack: Some of the Edo State Deputy Governor’s aide wounded during an attack on their boss, at Auchi, Edo State, weekend.

Vanguard gathered that the Customs officials pursued some suspected smugglers, who allegedly smuggled two vehicles loaded with rice, coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic and heading towards Sango in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Some witnesses, who spoke with Vanguard, said the Customs officials seized the vehicles and were driving them to  their Idi-Iroko office  when  they were ambushed by some suspected smugglers.

The clash reportedly led to the death of three children, a roadside mechanic, panel-beater and a secondary school  leaver, simply identified as Ade.

The Customs officer reportedly called for reinforcement that came shooting sporadically with stray bullets hitting some residents that resulted in the death of six persons while some sustained various injury.

But the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi and his Customs counterpart, Usman Abubakar, while confirming the incident, said two people lost their lives.

Abubakar said three of their officers sustained injuries during the attack by the smugglers, adding that three of their check-points were also burnt down.

He said: “Two people have been confirmed dead. Our officers were attacked by smugglers on their way to Idi-Iroko office after seizing two vehicles loaded with rice at Ajilete.

“These smugglers carried guns, cutlasses, axe, broken bottles, and they stoned our officers with a view to recovering their vehicles with the contra-band.

“We had to call for reinforcement of Military and Police before we could escape from the smugglers, they burnt down three of our check-points.”

In his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, said the command was aware of the clash between armed men and smugglers.

He further said only two casualties were recorded in the crisis and that the alleged mastermind of the incident identified as Oke Gbenro had been arrested.