The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, has confirmed the death of an officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs Mustapha Akiyode, who was shot dead 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 community known for intense smuggling activities.
In a statement issued on Friday via the Service’s official X handle, the Comptroller of FOU Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu, described the incident as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by officers involved in border enforcement operations.
Aliyu, who spoke during his maiden press briefing at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, said the officer was attacked in an ambush while carrying out his lawful duties.
Despite the loss, the comptroller said the command has intensified its operations through a strengthened, intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy, which has already yielded significant results.
According to him, the renewed approach led to the interception of 144 smuggling attempts across the zone, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of prohibited and uncustomed goods.
Items recovered 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, 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 seizures reflect the command’s determination to dismantle smuggling networks operating along Nigeria’s borders.
He also disclosed a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, revealing that Customs operatives intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica, weighing 1,431 kilograms.
The comptroller warned that drug trafficking poses serious security threats, noting that narcotics fuel violence and instability across the country.
He urged those involved in illicit trade to abandon criminal activities and embrace legitimate business, warning that the Service remains resolute in enforcing the law.
Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦3.32 billion.
In line with inter-agency cooperation, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.
The Customs command reaffirmed its commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders, despite the risks faced by its officers in the line of duty.
