- Comptroller-General-Nigeria-Customs-Service-Col-Hameed-Ali-Rtd
Contrary to the voicing on a trending video of social Media, Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) has denied the alleged shooting of a European returnee by its operatives on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway over N5000 bribe.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the service, Joseph Attah, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC), said the late young man simply identified as Godwin was equally not a passenger in any commercial bus, but a good citizen who always come to fetch water for Customs Patrol men anytime they return to the base.
Narrating the circumstances that led to the untimely death of the good citizen, Attah explained that it was as a result of an accidental discharge that happened while some passengers attempted to obstruct Customs operatives from lawful performance of duties.
The NCS image makers stated further that besides the dead person, one of thr operatives of NCS identified as Destiny Onebamh, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, (ASC1) sustained serious injury during the skirmishes.
According to him: “Attention of Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a disturbing video going viral with conflicting narratives.
“While it is painful and totally unnecessary to loose life in anti-smuggling operations, today at Shagamu interchange along Ijebu Ode, attempt to obstruct lawful performance of duty by passengers of a commercial bus (a white Toyota Hiace) suspected to be carrying bales of used clothing led to the death of a young man (Godwin) and serious injury of a Customs Officer, ASC1, Destiny Onebamho.
“Contrary to some narratives, the young man was not a passenger of the bus but a good citizen who always come to fetch water for Customs Patrol men anytime they return to the base.
“Preliminary finding indicate that it was during the skirmishes and struggle to disarm the Officer that the riffle discharged and hit the friend of the Customs (Godwin) who lost his life”.
He added, that the Service is already in touch with the bereaved family.
Attah however lamented that while attention was focussed on the dead and injured persons, the passengers who did video recording of the scene and broadcast it, escaped from the scene feeding the public with wrong information.
“Sadly, it should be noted that while attention shifted to the dead and the wounded, the passengers who filmed with inciting commentaries boarded their vehicle and left, leaving the wrong impression that it was one of them that was killed.
“While the wounded Officer is under intensive care at the hospital, the patrol team has been recalled to the office for further investigation,” he said.
