Abducted customs officer : Family accuses Customs of complacency—as ‎abductors demand release of seized goods.

The family members of abducted Customs officer, Rasheed Abdulsalam, have accused the Nigeria Customs Service of complacency in the abduction of their son.

Abdulsalam, attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) ,Zone A, Lagos, was abducted penultimate Saturday by dare devil smugglers during an operation at Sango-Otta, Ogun State.

Family sources who spoke to our correspondent, alleged that, it took the Customs authority 72 hours to react to the abduction.

“The incident happened on a Saturday but the Customs authority did not react until the following Monday. That was even after we mounted pressure on them over the whereabouts of our brother”, a family source confided in our correspondent.

The source further blamed the FOU for sending what he called ill-equipped officers without adequate reinforcement from other sister security agencies to confront the smugglers.

“I think there is a standard procedure taken if the Customs want to intercept smuggled goods which they normally get intelligence report on.

“In such a scenario, the team is usually well-equipped and reinforced by sister security agencies such as the Army to confront such deadly situation.

” But that was not the case with this incident. “, the source alleged.

He further disclosed that the abduction of Abdulsalam has thrown his family in disarray as they were afraid for his safety.

“He has an aged mother who has remained inconsolable and refused to eat since the incident happened.

“Also, his wife, who gave birth to twin boys a month before the incident , has become a human wreck”, the source lamented.

The family however, appealed to the Customs authority to secure the release of Abdulsalam, using all available possible means.

Meanwhile, the family sources claimed that, they got unconfirmed information that the smugglers have made demand of return of their seized consignment before they could release the kidnapped officer.

The source said, “‎The family understands that the smugglers have contacted the Customs Service and they are asking for the return of their seized consignment before our brother can be released.
“But, the family still awaits the release of our son who was unfortunately abducted when on active service.”
They also alleged that family members are not carried along on what the Service is doing to rescue the abducted officer.
“We are in the dark ‎on what they are doing to secure the release of our son. We are still in shock and something should be done before the matter gets out of hand” another concerned family member said.

However, a Customs source denied the claims of the family members, saying the Customs team which went on that operation was not only well armed but accompanied by solders which is a standard procedure.

The source however, said it was not true that the smugglers have established a contact with them, demanding the release of their seized contraband goods as a condition for the release of the kidnapped officer.

‎Not withstanding, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Joseph Attah, said plans were afoot to rescue the abducted officer, describing Sango Ota axis of Ogun State as a den of smugglers.
It would be recalled that, the Customs operatives, upon receipt of intelligence report on smugglers’ activities, left their Federal Operations Unit headquarters at about 9:10pm penultimate Saturday. They were accompanied by some soldiers in a bus and a Toyota Hilux van that was driven by the kidnapped officer, Abdulsalam.

But unknown to them, the smugglers had laid an ambush just after the popular ShopRite retail store, which is also very close to a filling station along the busy Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

According to Attah, the anti-smuggling operatives, on running into the smugglers, could not open fire as a tanker was discharging petrol at that time and any incendiary material could have thrown the entire vicinity into a ball of fire.

“They also didn’t want any stray bullet to hit anyone. So, they exercised restraint.

“That location made it very difficult for our men to fire a single shot. The smugglers pelted their vehicles with petrol just looking for how the area will be set ablaze and swell the number of casualties. But they didn’t succeed.

“Sensing the danger, our men found a way to escape from the vicinity but not without picking one of the buses used in smuggling”, Attah explained.

But Abdulsalam, it was gathered, was unlucky as the smugglers swooped on him while he tried to assist the second driver who drove the bus. He was eventually abducted and his colleagues only got to know when the dusts settled and he could not be accounted for.