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Ogun state residents, especially those who live at border communities are now living in fear over the incessant bloody clashes between men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)and suspected smugglers.
A lot of lives have been lost while many have been severely injured in the border communities in Ogun state as a result of clashes whenever the smugglers clashed with customs officials.
According to Vanguard, the clashes have claimed lives of so many people including residents and men of customs service. Though, some smugglers were also said to have died in the process. The NCS has been saddled with the responsibilities of checking smuggling activities in Nigeria with a view to safeguarding the health and well-being of every Nigerian by protecting various borders against illegal importation of items that will pose security challenges to the nation.
But, in carrying out this responsibility NCS personnel and suspected smugglers have often clashed. These clashes have led to the death of so many of the officers while in some cases, NCS officials are left with deep machete cuts and various degrees of injuries.
Early this year, the State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun cried out that the state has over 100 illegal border crossings. Amosun hinted that all the illegal border crossings scattered in some parts of Ogun West Senatorial District have been causing huge challenges to the state in the area of security.
According to him, “the illegal borders are in Ipokia, Imeko-Afon, Yewa-North and now, many are springing up in Ado-Odo/Ota axis of the state, they are giving us huge challenges.
Few months after, the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd.) paid a visit to the state governor with a view to ensuring proper management of the borders in the state. Col. Ali, who solicited the cooperation of the Ogun government in its anti-smuggling campaign in the state, said that such synergy had become necessary to strengthen the anti-smuggling campaign of the service.
Source: Vanguard
