Ezekiel
The
Idiroko Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been accused by the
residents of Koko Town in Ogun State of killing a commercial
motorcyclist (okada rider) during a raid on the community.
In a petition to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the community said the okada rider, Timothy Ezekiel, was murdered on Feburary 26, 2014 when a team of customs officials raided the town.
The petition, signed by Chief Shina
Ogunyale, counsel for the community, said customs officials were guilty
of several extrajudicial killings in Ilashe, Ajegunle, Ihunbo, Ogosa,
Ajilete and all other communities along the Idiroko Road.
“The teams in three Hilux vans were led
by one Mr. Ajao on that fateful day before another team that was led by
one Mr. Ade joined them, making it four teams all together.
“Before the arrival of the fourth team,
the three teams had been shooting indiscriminately into the air to scare
people from approaching a house where the officers had gone to recover
contraband goods. The house in question is far away from the family
house of the deceased where he was killed by one Mr. Ahmed, a member of
the fourth team.
“The deceased was moving his children and
his 80-year-old father (Pa. Ezekiel) into their family house. It was at
that point that Ahmed shot the deceased right in the front of his aged
father.
“Immediately after Timothy’s murder, the
teams left Koko town, abandoning the contraband goods they came for.
Timothy is a gentleman, he was not a smuggler and was not at the scene
of the customs’ operation.”
The petition further alleged that the customs officials had not shown remorse since the incident.
The petition added, “A report was made
that same day to the police at the Area Command, Ilaro. Although they
assured us they would investigate the incident, we have yet to hear from
them. Even the NIS has not deemed it fit to visit the family of the
deceased.”
The NCS Public Relations Officer, Idiroko Command, identified simply as Mr. Ngigie, told PUNCH Metro that Timothy’s death was a regrettable incident.
He said, “When a life is lost, we commiserate with the family; the Nigerian customs is not known for this.
“What really happened is that the
deceased is a known smuggler. For some time now, we have been trying to
combat smuggling which is being carried out by commercial motorcyclists
along the Idiroko border.
“To tackle this menace, we decided to
watch the okada riders. By the time they have brought in an appreciable
number of rice bags, we then strike. On that day, we got information
that an appreciable number of rice bags were being kept in the town.
When our teams moved in to evacuate the rice, about a 100 youths
attacked our officers. It was at that point an officer shot into the air
to disperse them.”
Ngigie added that Timothy was shot in the ensuing faceo-ff that followed when the youths who were armed replied with gunfire.
He said, “As it is, we cannot say whose
bullet killed Timothy. Still, we have been trying to reach the family of
the deceased through the community leaders.”
There was no response from the Ogun State
Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, as he did not reply
the calls and text message to his phone.
PUNCH
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