Customs officers allegedly kill four Ibadan residents

No fewer than four people were, on Tuesday, allegedly killed by Customs officers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Residents of the area gave two different narratives of the incident. While some said the victims were killed when a seized truck controlled by Customs officers hit road users, others said the victims were shot during a protest following the truck accident.

It was gathered that the protest occurred opposite the NCS barracks in Ijokodo area of Ibadan. The barracks is located along the Ijokodo-Apete Road.

Witnesses said the trouble started when some Customs officers seized a trailer carrying prohibited items into the country.

The officers after seizing the trailer were said to be driving it to their barracks.

A witness said the trailer’s brake failed and the driver lost control of the vehicle which hit some commuters.

Among those hit by the trailer were commercial motorcyclists plying the Apete-Ijokodo-Sango Road.

A witness, who was coming from Apete, a suburb of Ibadan, said the commercial motorcyclists later went to the barracks to express their grievances.

This, according to her, infuriated the Customs officers who allegedly pulled the trigger.

This led to the death of the four persons, the woman said.

Another resident who identified herself as Funke, however, gave a different account of the incident.

Funke said that the four people died after they were hit by the trailer seized by the customs.

She said this led to the protest by the motorcyclists.

Our correspondent later gathered that that taxi owner plying the area used the opportunity to make brick business.

“The driver of the vehicle I boarded had to pass through another road along the Ologuneru Road from Eleyele to Awotan. Eleyele to Awotan which was N120 was fixed at N200 became they had to pass through another road”, said a resident of Awotan.

Normalcy later returned to the area with police officers deployed to maintain peace.

The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, when contacted Tuesday night, said he had not been briefed about the incident.

He said, “I don’t have the information now. You know when the police officers are there, they have to maintain normalcy. They have to unravel what happened before they send a report to us.

“We will get the report late this night or tomorrow morning.”

Also, the spokesperson of the Customs, Oyo/Osun Command, Abdullahi Lagos, said he would provide the details later.

Lagos, who spoke with newsmen Tuesday night, said he was still at the University College Hospital where the victims of the incident were taken to for treatment.

He said he was still compiling the report of what transpired.

“I am still at the UCH. I am with the families; people are still calling me the way you are calling. I am still typing the report. I will send it to you,” he said.