Two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have been killed when Lakurawa terrorists launched a deadly attack on Customs facility in Maje (frequently referenced near the Tuka/Bakin Ruwa border axis) within Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The terrorists also set the entire facility and operational vehicles ablaze before retreating.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, who disclosed that the incident happened on Wednesday morning, identified the slain operatives as Assistant Superintendent of Customs Bamigboye and Deputy Superintendent of Customs Dom.
Adeniyi, who spoke on the deaths while delivering a keynote address at the fourth biennial international conference organised by the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, said they died during a counter-offensive operation against the Lakurawa terrorists around 3am.
The attackers reportedly invaded two security checkpoints in the Bagudu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
A source, familiar with the incident, said the gunmen attacked two checkpoints that are very close to each other. They shot one officer, while they burnt the three-star officer alive.
The Customs chief described the incident as deeply painful, noting that operatives of the service have continued to play frontline roles in security operations alongside the military.
“This morning, two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service paid the supreme sacrifice while warding off threats from Lakurawa terrorists in Kebbi.
“Apart from the military, the Nigeria Customs Service remains the last shield in several of these border communities,” Adeniyi said.
He, however, assured that the deaths of the officers would not weaken the resolve of the service in confronting criminal networks operating around Nigeria’s borders.
Speaking on the conference theme, “Disruptive Technology: Human and Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Economy,” Adeniyi said the deployment of Artificial Intelligence-driven risk management tools by the Customs Service had significantly reduced corruption and improved operational efficiency.
He said portraying Artificial Intelligence as a replacement for human capacity was misleading, stressing that human judgment and leadership remain critical in technological deployment.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, condoled with the Nigeria Customs Service over the deaths of the officers, describing them as patriots who died in active service to the nation.