Two Customs Officers Killed in Kebbi Attack by Suspected Lakurawa Terrorists

By Victor Idajili

Two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service were killed early Wednesday in an attack by suspected Lakurawa terrorists in Bagudu Local Government Area, Kebbi State.  

Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi confirmed the incident while speaking at the University of Ilorin. He said Assistant Superintendent of Customs Bamigboye and Deputy Superintendent of Customs Dom died around 3 a.m. during a counter-offensive against the armed group.  

According to a source familiar with the incident, the gunmen targeted two nearby checkpoints, shooting one officer and burning another to death.  

Adeniyi described the killings as “deeply painful,” noting that Customs personnel continue to serve on the frontline in border communities alongside the military.  

“This morning, two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service paid the supreme sacrifice while warding off threats from Lakurawa terrorists in Kebbi,” he said. “Apart from the military, the Nigeria Customs Service remains the last shield in several of these border communities.”  

He said the loss would not weaken the service’s resolve to confront criminal networks operating along Nigeria’s borders.  

Adeniyi was in Ilorin to deliver a keynote at the fourth biennial international conference organized by the University of Ilorin’s Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences. Speaking on the theme _“Disruptive Technology: Human and Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Economy,”_ he said AI-driven risk management tools have helped reduce corruption and improve efficiency within Customs.  

He warned against framing AI as a replacement for people, stressing that human judgment and leadership remain essential to how technology is applied.