Officials of the Nigerian Customs killed no fewer than six persons in Alakara busstop, Oke Odan Township in Yewa South Local Government area of Ogun State
on Sunday, May 1, 2016 while chasing some rice smugglers.
The rice smugglers were 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.
Investigations also revealed that all those killed were not smugglers, but innocent people, carrying out their legitimate duties in their shops and kiosks.
Witnesses identified those killed as three children, a motor mechanic, panel-beater and a secondary school leaver, simply identified as Ade.
The coordinator of Yewa Connecting Minds (YCM) Prince Ekunola Gbenga Abraham A.K.A. “PEGA” said they were not ready to sweep the killing under the carpet.
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 at because they are smugglers to cover their tracks.
PEGA demanded that the Comptroller General of Customs should hand over the killer officer to the Police for peace to reign in the area stating 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.
“Enough is enough of these wanton killings. We want the Comptroller to hand over the killer to the police to investigate the matter.
Yewa Connecting Minds (YCM) condemned what it described as the desperate attempt to exonerate the real culprits behind the killing in the area, saying the development is alarming and criminally intended to shield the officials of Customs who committed the atrocities from justice.
Accusing the Customs most especially Officer Ade & Officer Ajao of aiding rice smuggling and collecting bribes from perpetrators, the aggrieved residents lamented that the deceased had never engaged in the illegal act.
The group said it is lending its voice to the demand for the prosecution of all those involved in the heinous act by the appropriate security agencies
A statement issued by YCM’s coordinator, Prince Ekunola Gbenga 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 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, he said.