By Our Correspondent
A deadly overnight attack by suspected members of the Lakurawa bandit group has left at least one officer of the Nigeria Customs Service feared dead after gunmen stormed a Customs base in Maje, a community in the Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Residents said the attackers, numbering several dozens and heavily armed, invaded the facility late Friday night, shooting sporadically and setting parts of the Customs camp on fire. The sudden assault forced officers and nearby villagers to flee for safety amid heavy gunfire.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bandits arrived on motorcycles and moved directly toward the Customs post, where they engaged officers on duty. They came around midnight, firing into the air and shouting. We heard explosions and later saw the camp burning, a resident recounted.
Preliminary reports indicated that one Customs officer was killed during the attack, while others reportedly escaped into surrounding bushes. Several operational vehicles and parts of the facility were said to have been destroyed before the attackers fled.
The motive behind the assault remains unclear, but sources suggest it may be connected to intensified Customs operations against smuggling activities and illegal arms movement along border communities in the area.
As of press time, neither the Kebbi State Police Command nor the Nigeria Customs Service had issued an official statement regarding the incident. Efforts to reach Customs spokespersons in the North West zone were unsuccessful.
Security analysts said the attack highlights the persistent insecurity in parts of north western Nigeria, where armed groups continue to target both security formations and rural communities. The Lakurawa group has been linked to a series of violent raids across Kebbi, Niger, and Sokoto States.
Authorities are expected to launch a joint operation to track down the perpetrators, while residents of Maje and neighboring villages remain on edge following the renewed violence.
