Violence Erupts as Smugglers Clash with Customs in Border Town Sahuda

A violent confrontation erupted at Sahuda, a border town nestled between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon, when smugglers attacked a team of Nigerian customs officers. The incident, occurring on Sunday, saw the officers, who are part of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, sustain injuries as they attempted to thwart the smugglers’ efforts to transport Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, across the border into Cameroon.

According to reports, the customs team successfully intercepted the smugglers within the precincts of Sahuda in the Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated when the smugglers, growing violent, rallied a mob armed with clubs and daggers against the officers. The aggression escalated to the extent that a patrol van was vandalised, and there were attempts to set the officers on fire, only for military intervention to prevent a tragic outcome.

Salisu Abdullahi Kazaure, the Comptroller of the Area Command, confirmed the harrowing ordeal, stating that a detailed Incident Report had been dispatched to the customs headquarters in Abuja for further action. According to the Incident Report accessed by SaharaReporters, the confrontation took place on the morning of Sunday, 17th March 2024. The customs operatives, led by SC T Suleiman and supported by ASCI UU Abdullahi, ASCI MS Ibrahim, among others, were executing an information patrol along the Mubi-Sahuda road when they encountered three tricycles laden with PMS, purportedly being smuggled into Cameroon.

Despite the violent backlash, which included a serious injury to one of the officers and significant damage to their vehicle, the customs team managed to seize and secure 45x25L Jerry Cans of PMS, evidencing the smuggled goods. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by customs officers in managing border security and controlling the illegal flow of goods between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.

SaharaReporters