Since last week Saturday, my younger brother, a Customs officer has been missing.

It is now a week after, there is no trace of him. The circumstances of his disappearing is also quite suspicious. On Saturday, April 14, my younger brother and a team from the Federal Operations unit, with office on Toyin street embarked on operations towards Sango, along the Lagos-Abeokuta Abeokuta expressway. They went in an official Hilux van and a bus. My brother drove the Hilux. Shortly after the toll gate, by the Gateway hotel, they encountered the alleged smugglers, from indications were waiting for them. Since they were coming from Lagos, the Customs operatives parked by the Gateway side and crossed to the other side. Strange indeed, Does it mean that the smugglers were waiting for the Customs operatives. My brother and the driver of the other bus went towards Sango (Dalemo bus stop), for those familiar with that route, to turn inorder to join their colleagues, unknown to them that a fight had broken out between the ‘Smugglers’ and the Operatives. From narratives of the operatives, they were overwhelmed and had to run for safety. They said they could not shoot as they were at a fuel station and a fuel truck was there. It was at this point that the bus and the Hilux artived, smacked into the midst of the attackers. They pulled out the driver of the bus, attacked him. On seeing this, my brother got down from the Hilux he was driving to help. His colleague escaped, but not my younger brother. He is still missing.
Strangely, the team that managed to escape regrouped along the toll gate. They claimed to have called for reinforcement, but there was no response from any of their superior officers. No rescue operation was raised to find the missing operatives until I called friends. That was on Monday, about two days after.

MY CONCERNS
There is more than meets the eye in the entire story. Who was the officer that sent his men out without a follow up?
2. Why did the officer in charge send an understrength team for that operation as I gathered from colleagues of my brother?
3. How come no action was taken to effect a rescue?
4. Was there an ‘arrangemet’ (which went awry) with the smugglers that would make them ‘park and wait’ for the Customs officer, who crossed the other side of the road to meet them. Is that how it is done?
5. Most importantly, where is my brother? Who is holding him?
6. What is the Customs doing to ensure his release?
My gut feeling is that there is someone in the customs hierarchy who is aware of the perpetrators, who knows them and gave instructions for the intercept, why has it been difficult to effect my brother’s release?