Pandemonium broke out in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Friday, when hoodlums and smugglers held some officers of the Nigeria Customs Service hostage and as well snatched a gun from a female soldier.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday night and spread to Saturday after men of Nigeria Customs Service intercepted a truck loaded with smuggled bags of rice at Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital .
It was gathered that the crisis started when the smugglers mobilised some hoodlums led by a notorious cultist in the area, popularly known as Abacha .
The source said “men of the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted a truck with smuggled rice. They took the truck to their office, but some officers were still in the area and the hoodlums held them hostage .
“The DPO Lafenwa waded in, but, the hoodlums insisted that they will free the customs men after the truck which had been taken to the office is released to them .
“In the process, NCS men called for reinforcement of soldiers and they clashed with the hoodlums”.
“The hoodlums snatched a gun from a soldier and ran away with it.”
It was further gathered that the loss of the gun provoked the other soldiers who blocked the roads”.
Speaking with Vanguard correspondent on the development, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Ogun command 1, Hammed Oloyede confirmed the incident.
He said none of his men were injured, but one of the operational vehicles was vandalised by the hoodlums who held them hostage.
He said the men quickly escaped to the nearby police station where they took cover and called for reinforcement .
He said; “none of them sustained injury. But, the hoodlums vandalised our vehicle . Our men were smart to escape from the scene to the police station.”
When contacted , the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident .
Oyeyemi said the snatched gun had been recovered .
He explained that Intelligence report from the police revealed that the hoodlums were led by a notorious cult member in the area.
When asked if any arrest had been made, Oyeyemi said, “We did not arrest anyone , the arrest was made by the soldiers , they have recovered their gun”.
“We are on the trail of him, we are looking for him seriously. “
The public Relations Officer of the 35 Artilery Brigade, Alamala, simply identified as Zwingina told newsmen that he had left the state since May.
When asked about the name and the contact of the new PRO, he promised to send the contact, but, had not sent it till the time of filing the report.
