It was a wailing galore at Agbara Customs checkpoint on the busy Lagos-Badagry expressway last Saturday after a convoy of smuggled vehicles suspected to be piloted by an Army Captain, crushed to death a Customs  officer.
The tragic incident has become a subject of discourse among the civil society and paramilitary
An eyewitness, Mr Duru(a.k.a Water no get enemy)  told our correspondent that operatives of Nigeria Customs Service at the Agbara check point along the busy Badagry express road attempted stopping the convoy for routine search when the Nigeria Army van piloting the fleet killed the Customs officer, simply identify as Baba Nwagiyawo, an inspector of Customs.
Our source told The Tide that the deceased with service number 53225 was, until his death, an anti-smuggling operative of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Lagos.
The four vehicles suspected to be smuggled under the guise of army convoy led by a serving captain are 2 units Mercedes Benz sports utility vehicles (SUV) ML 350,one Toyotal Venza and a Mercedez saloon car .
Sources disclosed that three joint units, (Seme, Customs Intelligence units and FOU) were set to intercept the vehicles that were  being piloted by a team of military men led by Captain  A.M. Murnai with force No 45EB/15 FER with army operation vehicle No.NA2021B05.
The eyewitness further explained that each of the smuggled cars had two soldiers in uniform inside as an act of subterfuge and deception with the said captain Murnai inside the piloting van.
It was learnt that at the point of stop-and-check, the military men were said to have  resisted and forced their way through, knocking down the deceased in order to pave way for the smuggled vehicles to pass. Two of the  vehicles were said to have ran over  him, Baba Nwagiyawo said.
The officer reportedly died on his way to Ademola Hospital and his remains have since been deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Lagos.
The intercepted culprits and their official vehicle were detained by the joint officers of Customs but further moved to Ibereko Barracks, Badagry by Military intelligence on the instruction of the commanding officer, Ibereko Barrack, for further interrogation.
Efforts to reach the Customs Public Relations Officer FOU  zone “A,” Mr. Jerome  Attah, were abortive as phone calls put across to him  was not successful, although Lt Col. Olaolu Dauda, spokesman for 81 Division of Nigeria Army told our correspondent on phone that the matter is under investigation.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos