The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, which oversees the region, stated that the officer was killed during an ambush on Tuesday morning while on active duty.
Barely 48 hours after a violent confrontation left two personnel wounded, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has confirmed the killing of an officer by suspected smugglers in Ogun State.
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, which oversees the region, stated that the officer was killed during an ambush on Tuesday morning while on active duty.
The latest fatality underscores a worrying trend of "renewed attacks" against anti-smuggling teams in the volatile border axis.
The Tuesday killing follows a bloody weekend in which suspected smugglers attacked a customs patrol team on Saturday. Initial reports from that incident indicated that while one person was killed, four others— including two customs officers —sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Confirming the latest casualty, the Customs Controller in charge of FOU Zone A, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, lamented the increasing risks faced by officers in the line of duty.
“The Command on February 3, 2026, lost one of its promising officers, who fell to the cold hands of death in the service of our fatherland. This loss has already been communicated to the Service High Command,” Aliyu stated.
The Comptroller linked the spike in violence to the unit’s recent successes in disrupting high-value smuggling syndicates, particularly those trafficking synthetic drugs.
According to Aliyu, the unit recently intercepted a massive consignment of 3,029 parcels of a potent synthetic strain of cannabis indica, popularly known as "Ghanaian Loud."
The seized drugs weighed a total of 1,431kg.
“Amidst rising crime and criminality in our country today, the unit under my watch intensified the onslaught against drug trafficking syndicates within our area of responsibility. This singular move significantly disrupted supply chain networks,” Aliyu said.
The Customs boss framed the attacks within the broader context of Nigeria's deteriorating security landscape, noting that the agency is fighting a war on multiple fronts.
“These efforts occurred against the backdrop of spiraling incidences of banditry, terrorism, and pervasive societal vices that threaten national stability,” he added.
Despite the loss of life and the frequent ambushes in Ogun State — a notorious flashpoint for smuggling activities — the Command maintains that it will not back down from its mandate to secure the nation’s borders.
The identity of the deceased officer is being withheld pending full notification of the family.