There was pandemonium on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun state as angry protesters stormed the Ogun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service to protest the alleged killing of one person, Saubana Onila and injuring of four others who are said to be rice smugglers at Kobape area, along Sagamu-Siun Expressway by customs officers.
The protesters, who brought the corpse of Onila to Quarry Road, Abeokuta Command of the Customs tried to force their way into the Command.
It took the combined effort of men of Nigerian Army, police and men of Ogun state Vigilance Service and Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to prevent the protesters from gaining entry into the Command.
One of the protesters, Shola Josiah who spoke to CITYVOICE disclosed that Saubanna and four other drivers, including himself, had left Kuto market in Abeokuta around 9:30a.m, with their vehicles loaded with 25 bags of rice, heading to Sagamu.
He added that Customs intercepted them at Sowo Village along around 9:30a.m Kobape road and gave them a hot chase.
“We had left Kuto Market in Abeokuta with our vehicles loaded with 25 bags of rice each. When we got to Sowo Village, we saw Customs’ vehicle with men inside it.
“I thought there won’t be any issue because we normally pay them N5,000 on each trip. Before I knew what was happening, they had started giving us hot chase. They caught up with me, while Saubana’s car tyres were blown out with gunshot and his Mazda 626 car eventually somersaulted into a ditch”, Josiah stated.
He, however, alleged that customs operative still shot Saubana at close range, after bullet had hit him around the thigh and he had managed to crawl out of the car wreckage.
Josiah, who said his vehicle was seized and driven to the state command of the customs, stated that two other drivers escaped. He lamented Saubana’s death, noting the father of four was an easy going person.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Usman Abdulahi, said the allegation was not true. He said the information at his disposal was that smugglers were sighted by customs operatives along Siun-Kobape road and in an attempt to escape arrest, one of the smugglers had an accident.
“The information at my disposal is that one of our patrol teams went on routine patrol this morning along Kobape-Sagamu Interchange. Based on credible information to them that some smugglers were coming through that route, they waylaid the smugglers.
“On sighting Customs vehicle, the occupants of those vehicles now started on top speed. In the course of the operation, one of the vehicles fell into a ditch. The occupants of that vehicle left and ran away. Our men now brought the vehicle down to Abeokuta station. So, that is the information I have.
“There was no shootout with anybody. Our men have no cause to shoot anybody. They are well trained and they operate according to international best practices.
“The police have been invited, we are on top of the situation. The matter is under investigation by the Customs and the police. So after a thorough investigation, we will now give you full details of what happened,” Usman explained.