No fewer than six persons were feared dead on Sunday after the men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun State Command, and smugglers clashed at Oke-Odan, in the Yewa South Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were said to be three children and three adult residents of the town, who were hit by stray bullets in the shoot-out.
Our correspondent gathered that the customs officials were chasing the smugglers, who were in two vehicles, loaded with bags of rice.
The vehicles were said to be coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and heading towards Sango, in the Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.
Some witnesses, who spoke with our correspondent, said the customs officials caught up with the smugglers, seized the vehicles and were driving them to their Idi-Iroko office before they were ambushed at Oke Odan 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.
A witness said, “The customs officers later called for reinforcement. When they arrived at the scene, they started another round of gun battle with the smugglers, during which stray bullets hit the victims, while others sustained injuries. Some customs officers also sustained injuries in the clash.”
Both the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi , and the Public Relations Officer, NCS, Ogun Command, Usman Abubakar, however, said two people died.
Abubakar said three customs officers sustained injuries during the clash, adding that three of their (Customs) checkpoints were burnt down.
Abubakar 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 used guns, cutlasses, broken bottles and even stoned our officers with a view to recovering their vehicles. They injured three officers.
“We had to call for reinforcement before we could escape from the smugglers; they burnt down three of our checkpoints.”
Adejobi said the command was aware of the clash between the customs men and some smugglers.
He said two casualties were recorded in the clash, adding that the alleged mastermind of the attack, identified as Oke Gbenro, had been arrested.
“Two people have been confirmed dead in the clash and we have taken the corpses to a public morgue for autopsy and for proper investigation,” he said.
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