BY: Manoah Kikekon
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| victims who sustained injury from Customs Officers a gunshot at Joforo, Badagry Lagos state. |
Nigerian Custom Officers shot two people and three others sustained severe injury, after the officers invaded Joforo community in Badagry West LCDA, Lagos State, at 3:45am on Saturday in search of smuggled rice.
Chief Peter Taseyon, the community leader (Baale) of Jororo disclosed that this is the third time such incident is happening and that if the officers try it some other time none of them will survive it.
"At about 3:45am I was in my room when I heard a gunshot so I rushed out only to discover that it was the Custom Officers searching for smuggled rice. Unfortunately, they could not find even a cup of it after searching the whole community.
"When the commuters began trooping out they started shooting gun, then two people were shot. One person was hit by a vehicle and a house was also destroyed with the vehicles there, two other people sustained injuries in the process of getting a cover," Chief Taseyon said.
The community said he already reported the case to the police station, and have also gone to the King of Apa, to inform him that he don't wish to see the officers in his community again. "It’s so disappointing that with all the checkpoints on the roads, they could still enter our community."
He further disclosed that the community has decided not to take laws into their hands, "if I should mobilise my boys, none of them would come to this community and leave. They should not try this with us again as this is the third time they are coming to this community at midnight. Each time, they always shoot guns, search people’s houses, and harass our women, but they never find anything incriminating in the community.
"They are free to carry out their assignments on the roads or arrest any illegal goods on the road, but they should not enter our community again," he added.
Mrs. Cecilia Doheto, the mother of a victim that was shot said, “we have gone to protest at their checkpoint against what they did in our community and I told them that nothing should happen to my son because we don't have anything to live on, we are just managing our lives.”
Mr. Yonronfun Julius, the youth leader, and a victim said, “some minutes before 4am we saw the Custom officers in four Hilux vehicles enter our community. I ventured to control the situation by trying to lead them out of the community with the support of the youths. As we were following them, suddenly, one of the vehicles moved towards my direction and as I was trying to escape I fell down and the vehicle ran over my leg, and that’s how I sustained severe injuries.
"I still spoke to my brother to let them go, however, before we could know what was happening they started shooting guns sporadically. Two people were hit by a stray bullet, one on the leg and the other the bullet pierced his ass to the other side; all these happened in my present. I want the government to intervene in this because it is becoming frequent.
"We are not saying they should not carry out their assignment, but they should not come to our community again. If someone had died in the process before they don't know what could have happened by now," he said.
Mr. Aladeoton David, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) coordinator, Badagry West LCDA said, “the Local government chairman Hon. Gbenu called me to inform me about the incident. Afterward, I went to the hospital to see the victims where I was told how the whole thing happened, which means most of the people were asleep when they came. I was very happy when I was told the customs officers could not find a cup of smuggled rice in the community.
One of the victims told Mr. David, that he was in the room hearing gunshots and women shouting “thief”, he came out to discover that it was the customs officers.
"When the officers saw that more people were coming out they started shooting sporadically, two people were hit by a stray bullet. They were officers from Nigeria Customs border drill under the command of one Officer Gambo. Border drill has been on this for years. Two years ago, Border drill Custom Officers killed a secondary school boy coming from the farm, we did all we could to retaliate but they told us not to take laws into our hands. We are sending the last warning to the Controller General of Customs to reach out to his team and warn them," David said.