Oke Odan community in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, is tension-soaked, after the alleged killing of six persons by trigger-happy customs officers on Sunday.
The incident occurred around 6:30pm at the Alakara Bus-Stop in Oke Odan, PM News reports.
It was gathered that the customs officials were chasing some suspected rice smugglers in a long convoy on their way from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and heading towards Sango in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Residents of the community revealed that all those killed were indigenes who were carrying out their various activities when they met their deaths as a result of stray bullets, allegedly from the customs officers.
Three of those killed, according to witnesses, are children, a motor mechanic, a panel-beater and a secondary school leaver, simply identified as Ade.
Coordinator of Yewa Connecting Minds, YCM, Prince Ekunola Gbenga Abraham, while confirming the incident, said the community would not sweep the killings under the carpet.
He alleged that the killing of the villagers was becoming one too many on the part of the customs officers, who fire directly at villagers and later claim that the victims were shot at because they were smugglers.
“Enough is enough of this wanton killings. We want the Comptroller General to hand over the killers to the police to investigate the matter,” he said.
The YCM further condemned what it described as a desperate attempt to exonerate the real culprits behind the killing in the area.
Abraham warned that shielding the perpetrators from justice would encourage more killings as they would be encouraged to consider their murderous acts as normal.
“I am appealing to our people to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of disruption from any quarters.
“I also call on our members to remain calm in the face of provocation; we have confidence in the government and justice shall be done,” he said.
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