[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, have been reported dead on Sunday from a ghastly road accident in Akwa Ibom State.
It was reported that the yet-to-be identified officers died while their van was chasing a Toyota Sienna bus, suspected to be conveying rice at Urua Ita, Oron axis section of the East West Road in Akwa Ibom State.
According to eyewitnesses, the Customs Officers suspected that the Sienna was smuggling foreign rice from Oron local government area and heading to Eket local government area of the state.
One of the eyewitness, Comrade Ben Asuquo, who spoke with this Reporter, said apart from the two Customs officers that died, two other persons from the Toyota Sienna also sustained major injuries.
“The NCS officers were on duty patrol and on sighting a Sienna bus, they suspected it was carrying foreign rice in it, so the officers made a U-turn and started chasing the bus with their van.
“The driver of the custom vehicle, Strike Force Zone C lost control, collided and smashed the Sienna and the Custom vehicle somersaulted severally.
“Two custom officers died at the spot and others were seriously wounded.
“On searching the Toyota Sienna vehicle, no single bag of rice was found”, Asuquo said.
Asuquo lamented further while blaming the driver of the Sienna bus for the cause of the accident that: “I don’t really know why a man who claimed was coming back from church was running away from custom officers.”
Efforts to reach the NCS spokesperson in Akwa Ibom State proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
Recalled that the Federal Government have banned the importation of foreign rice, the reason for the boarder closure.
