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Bandits Kill Customs Officer in Fuel Smuggling Clash in Niger

Borno State Government

By Fatima Mukhtar

A Customs officer has been killed in a deadly clash with armed bandits involved in fuel smuggling along the Babanna border area of Niger State.

The incident, which occurred over the weekend, followed an ambush on a patrol team of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) who were on an anti-smuggling operation in the volatile border axis between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

According to sources within the NCS, the officers had intercepted a convoy of suspected fuel smugglers transporting jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, when they came under heavy gunfire from armed bandits providing protection for the smugglers. One officer was shot dead, while others narrowly escaped.

The slain officer’s identity was not immediately disclosed as the service awaited official notification of the family. The attack is believed to be linked to a network of fuel traffickers supplying bandit groups operating around the Borgu and Babanna forests.

In recent months, customs operations in the North-Central region have intensified, with several seizures made to curb the illegal flow of petroleum products across borders. In April, the NCS intercepted over 12,800 litres of petrol in the same Niger border area, saying the fuel was destined for criminal camps in the bush.

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An NCS official who spoke on condition of anonymity condemned the latest killing, describing it as “a reflection of how smuggling has become entangled with insecurity.” He said, “Our men are paying the price for protecting the nation’s economy. These criminals don’t just smuggle; they are part of the security threat we face daily.”

The Nigeria Customs Service has vowed to continue its anti-smuggling operations despite rising threats, stressing that the activities of fuel smugglers deprive the country of vital revenue and strengthen the logistics of criminal gangs.

Security agencies have since launched a joint operation in the area to track down the perpetrators and dismantle the smuggling network believed to be behind the attack.

The killing adds to a growing list of assaults on customs officers in northern Nigeria, where smugglers and bandits often collaborate to resist enforcement, further worsening insecurity in border communities.

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