The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has strongly condemned frequent attacks on its personnels at border posts and checkpoints by bandits across Kebbi State border corridors, vowing to end it.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, made the promise at the Nigeria Customs maiden Security Summit.
It was held at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, on Thursday.
Represented by the Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timi Bomadi, Adeniyi stressed that the primary aim of the submit in Kebbi State is to collaborate with other stakeholders such as the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), and traditional rulers as well as the government officials, meet with them and share ideas, and strategise on how best to end constant attacks on the border areas in Kebbi State.
He said: “Security reports indicated that our officers, military, Civil Defence, FRSC, Immigration, and the civilians have lost their lives to bandits and terrorists as a result of constant attacks by criminals on checkpoints at border areas in Kebbi State.
“We want peace to reign and our legal trades to improve.
“That’s why we recently opened our borders in Kebbi, but these unscrupulous elements in the society always attacked our innocent personnel at their check-points and kill them.”
Adeniyi noted that since the attitude by the criminals continued, the Customs Headquarters decided to hold the summit in the affected states like Kebbi.
It is to discuss ways to end such attacks and other criminal activities in the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Customs Comptroller in Kebbi State, Mahmoud Ibrahim Matawalle, commended Governor Nasir Idris for approving to host the summit and for the usual support rendered to security agents.
Matawalle also thanked Governor Idris for the donation of two brand new vehicles to the Customs Command in Kebbi State in order to enhance surveillance in the border areas across the state.
He commended the efforts of his men, particularly those in the border areas, for their bravery in handling the security situation in the areas.
The Comptroller assured that at the end of the submit, Kebbi State will remain free from attacks and banditry not only at the checkpoints, but in all other troubled areas across the state.
