The Nigeria Customs Service has confirmed the killing of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC I) 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, along the Ilara-Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, a border corridor long identified as a hotspot for cross-border smuggling.
The Service disclosed the incident in a statement posted on its official X handle on Friday, describing the officer’s death as a painful loss to the Service and the nation.
Reacting to the incident, the Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, described the killing as “a sobering reminder of the dangers faced daily by officers engaged in border enforcement and economic protection duties.”
Aliyu said the attack would not deter the Service from intensifying its operations against smuggling syndicates, stressing that Customs had recently rolled out a renewed, intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy across its area of responsibility.
According to the Comptroller, the strategy has already produced notable results, leading to the interception of 144 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and uncustomed goods.
Items seized include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 units of used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, and 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste under Nigerian law and international conventions.
Officers also intercepted a 20-foot container laden with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
“Upon assumption of duty a few weeks ago, I made a clear commitment that we would confront smuggling syndicates with renewed vigour, professional discipline, and full respect for the rule of law and human dignity,” Aliyu said.
In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, Aliyu disclosed that Customs officers intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica weighing 1,431 kilogrammes, noting that the seizure significantly disrupted drug supply chains within the Unit’s operational corridor.
The Comptroller warned that drug trafficking fuels banditry, terrorism, and other forms of organised crime, urging those involved in the illicit trade to abandon criminality or face the full weight of the law.
“Drug trafficking emboldens criminal elements, erodes societal stability, and undermines national security. Our resolve to combat this menace is firm and unwavering,” he added.
Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3,319,893,255.
In line with inter-agency cooperation, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.
The agency commended Customs for its diligence and assured that the drugs would be disposed of strictly in accordance with the law.