Posted by Lois Okereke, Ejiro Ejekukor & Wole Adeboye on
Contrary to media reports that a Deputy Chief Inspector of Customs, Babale A., died as a result of gunshot wounds during a clash between men of the Nigeria Customs Service and smugglers in Morogbo area of Badagry, that left several customsmen wounded, P.M.News can reveal that the officer was actually clubbed to death.
Contrary to media reports that a Deputy Chief Inspector of Customs, Babale A., died as a result of gunshot wounds during a clash between men of the Nigeria Customs Service and smugglers in Morogbo area of Badagry, that left several customsmen wounded, P.M.News can reveal that the officer was actually clubbed to death.
Speaking to P.M.News, the PRO of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Andy Nwodo, said Mr. Babale, who was on special duty from Abuja, was with other officers when they sighted smugglers in three buses carrying contraband.
'Babale and other officers pursued the smugglers into Morogbo, a village near Agbara, in Badagry area of Lagos. Unknown to them, the town is full of smugglers. And as they tried to arrest the smugglers, they were attacked by other smugglers.
'It was in the course of the fight that Babale was clubbed to death. Babale did not die as a result of bullet wounds, he was clubbed to death with sticks by the smugglers,' he narrated.
Nwodo stated that the DPO of Federal Operations along with some police units are already investigating the matter and have also made several arrests.
Meanwhile, the corpse of the officer has been taken to Yola, Adamawa state, for burial after an autopsy had been done, while a young man identified as Augustine Obineze of Morogbo town, who was hit in his thigh by stray bullets, is still receiving treatment at the Badagry General Hospital.
P.M.News gathered that items recovered from the buses include lady's bags, shoes, plastic plates and suitcases. P.M.News further gathered that the Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Lagos, is in Abuja to brief the management of the incident.