There was tension at Oke Odan Township in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State recently after six persons were reportedly killed by trigger-happy customs officers while pursuing some unknown smugglers.
DAILY POST gathered that the customs officials had on May 1 at about 6:30pm, pursued some suspected rice smugglers in a long convoy coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and heading towards Sango in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The incident which happened at Alakara Bus-Stop, Oke Odan, saw innocent people, who were mistaken for smugglers, killed.
The deceased, it was gathered, included three children, a motor mechanic, panel-beater and a secondary school leaver, simply identified as Ade.
According to the coordinator of Yewa Connecting Minds, YCM, Prince Ekunola Gbenga Abraham aka PEGA, the killing would not be swept under the carpet.
Abraham demanded that the Comptroller General of Customs hands over the killer officer to the Police for peace to reign in the area.
He alleged that the killing of villagers was becoming one too many on the part of the customs who fire directly at villagers and later claim that the victims were shot because they were smugglers to cover their tracks.
The coordinator also stated that they were ready to put an end to the unprovoked attack on villagers by customs men who would always claim that their victims were smugglers.
He said, “Enough is enough of these wanton killings.
“We want the Comptroller to hand over the killer to the police to investigate the matter.”
The coordinator, in a statement made available to DAILY POST, warned that shielding the perpetrators from justice would encourage more killings as they would be encouraged to consider their murderous acts as normal.
The statement further said, “I am appealing to our people go about their legitimate businesses without fear of disruption from any quarters.
“I also call on our member to remain calm in the face of provocation, we have confidence in the government and justice shall be done,” Abraham noted in the statement.
Condemning the act which the YCM described as ‘the desperate attempt to exonerate the real culprits behind the killing in the area,’ the group said the development was alarming and criminally intended to shield the officials of Customs who committed the atrocities from justice.
The group, however, lent its voice to the demand for the prosecution of all those involved in the heinous act by the appropriate security agencies.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved residents who are still under a sober reflection following the abduction of Senator Veronica Iyabode Anike Anisulowo in the area last Wednesday lamented the tragedy caused by Officials of the Nigeria Customs, NSC.
They decried that the deceased had never engaged in the illegal act, even as they accused the Customs, most especially Officer Ade & Officer Ajao of aiding rice smuggling and collecting bribes from perpetrators.
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