The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Niger Area command, on Tuesday, December 17, confirmed the killing of two officers of the command by armed gunmen while on duty.
Abba Kassim, Comptroller of Customs in charge of Niger/Kogi Area Command made the disclosure in Minna. He said a team of patrol officers were attacked by armed bandits along Lokoja-Okene road.
According to him, the attack resulted in the death of two officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs, S. Ohiremen, and Assistant Superintendent of Customs Two, S.M. Omale. Kassin added that another officer, Deputy Superintendent of Customs, H.I. Oladapo, sustained gunshot injury.
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Kassim said: “The injured officer was quickly moved to Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, for medical attention. We are pained by the sad development and share in the grief of losing fellow officers, colleagues, brothers, husbands and fathers.
“We will continue to work with other sister agencies in identifying the armed bandits in connection to the attack on our officers. Anyone found guilty will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
The Herald reported that Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) the Comptroller-General of NCS, appealed for a separate budget for Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada for the institution to realize its set out goals. Ali made the appeal at the Graduation ceremony of Junior Course five of the college in Abuja on Friday.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Service, Aminu Dan-Galadima, the customs boss said the college is at the moment being funded from the service’s inadequate budget. Ali said that similar institutions in the military establishments have their autonomous funding as stipulated in their establishment Acts.
According to him, “We will be counting on the support of the Nigeria Customs Service Board to work towards initiating appropriate legislative processes to achieve this desired vision.” Ali underscored the need to evaluate and review the courses offered by the institution to sustain its regional and global set standard.
He said: “We have received an expression of interest from sister government agencies and other customs administration in West and Central African regions of the world custom organisation.
“It is our belief that such reviews will accommodate their interests without compromising the laid down standard. Our long term vision will, therefore, capture the participation of middle-level customs officers from West and Central African countries.”