Two Nigeria Customs Service officers are feared dead after suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group stormed their camp in Maje, a border community in Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State, opening fire and setting the facility ablaze.

According to local sources, the assailants invaded the facility in large numbers on Saturday night and began shooting indiscriminately at the officers. One customs personnel was reportedly killed on the spot, while the fate of a second officer remained unclear at the time of the attack.

Before fleeing, the gunmen set the customs camp on fire, destroying the facility. "The terrorists came in large numbers and started shooting sporadically. Everyone ran for safety," a community resident who did not want to be named told journalists.

Official Response:

The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi State Command, Muhammad Tajudeen, confirmed the attack but said the death toll had not been officially verified. "Yes, the attack actually happened, but you know it's the doctor that can confirm if he is dead or not," he said.

Neither the Kebbi State Government nor the Nigeria Customs Service headquarters had issued a formal statement at the time of filing.

A Troubled Area:

The attack on the Maje customs camp was not an isolated incident. Just days before, the same armed group had abducted the Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Sama'ila Bagudo, in the same local government area. He was released after spending a week in captivity.

The Lakurawa group has been linked to repeated assaults across Kebbi State in recent months, exploiting porous borders and limited security infrastructure in Nigeria's northwest. Governor Nasir Idris attended the funeral of the slain officer, joined by senior government officials, security commanders and community leaders  a signal of the growing alarm over the reach of armed groups in the region.

Background: A Border Under Pressure:

Kebbi State shares extensive land borders with Niger Republic and the Republic of Benin, making it a key corridor for both trade and criminal movement. The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has described Kebbi as one of the most strategically important states for Nigeria's border security, but also acknowledged growing concern over security threats to officers and communities along those borders.

The killing of customs personnel in the state has become an alarming pattern. Officers have been attacked on patrol routes, at checkpoints, and now at their own camps  raising difficult questions about the safety of security personnel stationed in Nigeria's frontier communities.