Customs officer shot dead in Kebbi gunmen attack

Suspected gunmen on Monday shot and killed a Nigeria Customs Service officer at the Fingila checkpoint in Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent on Tuesday that the attackers, numbering about seven and armed with sophisticated weapons, first invaded nearby farms where they harassed farmers, seized food items, and ordered them to abandon their activities.

A resident of Fingila, Malam Abdulrasheed, recounted that the gunmen forced farmers to taste their own meals before consuming the rest. “They told the farmers there would be no farming that day and asked them to leave,” he said.

The attackers later advanced towards the main road where they encountered the customs officer, who was seated near a mosque. According to the eyewitnesses, the officer attempted to escape into a maize field after the first gunshot missed him, but he was struck by two subsequent bullets, one of which proved fatal.

Two of his colleagues, who were concealed in the maize field during the attack, reportedly escaped with minor injuries after crawling through the crops.

Locals said the slain officer hailed from Maiduguri, Borno State, and was known to frequently sit by the mosque.

As of the time of filing this report, the NCS in Kebbi State had not issued an official statement on the incident.

Punch