The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, has confirmed the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs Mustapha Akiyode, who was fatally shot by suspected smugglers during an ambush in Ogun State.
Akiyode was killed in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, while on official duty along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, a border corridor notorious for smuggling activities.
In a statement issued on its official X handle on Friday, the NCS said the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, described the incident as “a sobering reminder of the dangers faced by officers engaged in border enforcement,” while speaking at his maiden press briefing at the unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
Despite the loss, Aliyu said the command has intensified operations through a revamped intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy, which has already recorded significant successes across its area of responsibility.
According to him, the new approach led to the interception of 144 smuggling attempts, involving a wide range of prohibited and uncustomed goods.
Items seized include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste, and a 20-foot container of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
Aliyu said the results reflect the command’s renewed resolve to dismantle smuggling networks operating along Nigeria’s borders.
He also disclosed a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, revealing that operatives intercepted 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis indica, weighing 1,431 kilograms, which significantly disrupted narcotics supply routes within the zone.
Warning of the broader security implications of drug trafficking, Aliyu said such crimes fuel violence and instability across the country.
“Drug trafficking fuels threats by providing chemical catalysts such as methamphetamine and others that embolden perpetrators, erode morale and destabilise the nation,” he said, urging perpetrators to abandon illicit trade or face the consequences of the law.
In total, eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3.32 billion.
In line with inter-agency collaboration, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
The Customs command reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders, despite the growing risks faced by its officers in the line of duty.
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