Suspected smuggler kills Customs Officer in Kaduna state
A Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Inspector Hamzat Abdullahi-Elenwo has died after a suspected smuggler he was trying to stop hit him with his vehicle during a stop-and-search operation at Achilafia, along the Daura-Kano Road in Jigawa state.
Penpushing reports that Public Relations Officer of the Customs in the Zone, Isah Sulaiman, made this known in a statement adding that the suspect has been taken into custody, explaining that the deceased an indigene of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was born on April 15, 1985.
‘The incident happened when a vehicle, suspected of being smuggled into the country, struck the operative while attempting to evade arrest. The late officer was rushed to General Hospital Kazaure and later transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Katsina, where he was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty.
Penpushing further reports that the late officer joined the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as Customs Assistant III (CAIII) in the Transport and Logistics Unit on October 17, 2013, and was promoted to the rank of Inspector of Customs (IC) in 2022.
‘He is survived by his wife and two children and his remains had been laid to rest in Katsina according to Islamic rites. Shuaibu, on behalf of the entire officers and men of the unit, extended his heartfelt condolences to the deceased’s family and prayed for his eternal rest’, the statement reads.
Penpushing also reports that the command spokesperson pointed out that the incident highlights the level of desperation among smugglers who operate with disregard for human life, adding that this was one of many instances where smugglers killed and maimed personnel of the service in attempts to evade arrest.
The statement emphasized that the unit’s operatives would not be deterred and would remain unwavering in the fight against smuggling, and vowed to ensure that justice was served, adding, one suspect has been arrested and is in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force, Gwiwa Division in Jigawa.
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