Customs Officers Raided Igangan — Not Gunmen — Seyi Makinde

Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde says Customs officers raided Igangan and not gunmen.

Gatekeepers News reports that the Oyo state Governor, South-West, Nigeria, Seyi Makinde says officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) — not gunmen — raided Igangan, Ayete and Igbo-Ora communities, three agrarian areas in Ibarapa area of the state.

Three people reportedly lost their lives during the raid on the communities on Friday.

NCS in its reaction claimed that it was the residents that attacked its officers who were on the trail of some buses carrying prohibited items, contrary to what the residents said.

Customs Public Relations Officer, Federal Operations Unit, Theophilus Duniya, confirmed that three Customs officers and a soldier were injured during the clash.

He added that the Customs officers sighted smugglers carrying prohibited items and in the process, the smugglers attacked the officers.

Duniya, further said that investigations are still ongoing to arrest the suspects.

“Three Customs Officers and a soldier on duty were injured in an unprovoked attack by smugglers in Igbo Ora area of Ibarapa Local Government, Oyo State in the evening hours of Friday, July 16 , 2021 at about 8:00 pm.

“The injured Customs Officers who are operatives of the Zone A, Federal Operations Unit, sighted 8 trucks carrying smuggled foreign parboiled rice whose drivers and armed accompanying passengers launched attack on the officers. The statement read in part.

Seyi Makinde In a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, said political and traditional rulers of the affected towns described the raid “as unnecessary and not well thought out”.

Adisa said the leaders stated this when aide to the governor on security matters, Sunday Odukoya visited the affected areas.

“The raid left so much turmoil in our communities as the Customs men came, shooting sporadically. Many of our people ran helter-skelter,” Jimoh Olajide Titiloye, the Olu of Igbo Ora, was quoted as saying.

“We want it stated loud and clear that our communities, Igbo Ora, Igangan and Ayete are not border towns. Why should Customs turn the communities to theatres of bloodshed and war?

“We want customs to regulate their operations. It will be better if the authorities restrict them to border towns to end unwarranted attacks on innocent communities.”

Similarly, Adeoye Adedoyin, chairman of Ibarapa north LGA, was quoted to have said the “regrettable” incident has threatened the peace of the area.

“We have received the cooperation of state and non-state actors in our efforts aimed at boosting security.

“The hunters, Amotekun and other security agencies have been cooperating fully, but we were shocked to hear reports of sporadic gunshots and commotion that ensued after a raid by men of Customs Service.” Adedoyin said.