The family of Jamiu Bello, a graduate of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode, who was killed by a stray bullet during a clash between the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service and rice traders in Owode –Yewa, in the Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, over some bags of rice allegedly smuggled into the town, has asked the Federal Government to bring to justice killers of their son.
Bello, 32, was said to be among the four others, namely: Taiwo Oni, 48; Taiwo Adeleye 39; Serifat Ogunsina, 34; and Olabode Sunday, 41, who were reportedly felled by stray bullets fired by the men of the NCS during the clash in Owode-Yewa on January 21.
The deceased had come to the town on the fateful day on a bike to seek the help of his brother, Kassim, a civil servant, to secure a job when the tragedy happened.
It was learnt that the bullet, shot by one of the customs men, went through the back of the deceased and came out from his belly.
His aged mother, Bolanle Adeniji, who wept profusely during our correspondent’s visit, said her son, Bello, was not a smuggler, hence was killed over a crime he knew nothing about while looking for job.
The mother of two, who called on the Federal Government to intervene by bringing the killers of her son to justice, wondered why the Customs officials were shooting indiscriminately in the public place, thereby resulting in the death of innocent people.
She said, “They have killed my son. Bello was not a smuggler; we don’t have smugglers in our family. He only came to Owode-Yewa to ask his brother kazeem to help him get a job. He graduated from Tai Solarin University of Education. He was on the bike when a bullet, reportedly shot by a Customs officer, hit him on his back and came out of his stomach. I am begging the Federal Government to make sure that the killers of my son do not go scot free.”
Bello’s wife, Hajara, could not hold her tears back while explaining to our correspondent that she and her deceased husband had been married for five years with one child. His elder brother, Kareem, whom he had come to visit when he was killed, also urged the authorities to do justice on the death of his brother, saying that the deceased was a cool headed and law abiding Nigerian and not a smuggler.
Kareem said, “I want the Federal Government to bring the killer of my brother to book so that our family will not bear this loss in vain. He left with us a wife and a son and I know my brother; he is not a smuggler. He was coming to my place to help him find a job when he was killed by a stray bullet fired by a Customs official.”
While speaking on the incident, the Olu Owode -Yewa, Oba Matthew Akinlade, described the killing of the five persons by the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service as unfortunate.
The monarch and his chiefs lamented the killings of the innocent persons, saying the Customs men were operating outside the law by killing innocent citizens who were going about their lawful businesses.
Oba Akinlade backed the call to let the killers face the full wrath of the law, stating that no lawbreaker should go unpunished.
The Point gathered that trouble started in the area when the Customs operatives on patrol stormed some rice shops insisting that their wares were smuggled. However, the traders and other residents of the town engaged the men in hot arguments, thereby leading to face-off between the Customs men and the
traders.
Five persons lost their lives in the fracas that ensued.
Oba Akindele said, “What the Customs officers are doing in this area is bad; they shot sporadically and killed five innocent people in a conflict with rice traders. We heard that the officers stormed some rice shops on the claim that the bags of rice in the shops were smuggled. The situation turned to a fight between the rice traders, other members of the town and the Customs officers who were later accused of shooting.”
The Akinrogun of Owode, Chief Raufu Yusuf; Chief Isiaka Arowoponilu, as well as Christian and Muslim leaders in the town, urged the authorities to bring the killers to justice. They also appealed to Customs authorities to caution their men against incessant shooting and breaking into shops on the grounds that wares were smuggled.
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service in Ogun State, Abdullahi Maiwada, said he was sure that the men would not use firearms unless the people attacked them with dangerous weapons.
Maiwada said information reached the operatives that some smuggled rice were kept in a Celestial Church at Owode, adding that when the men of the NCS got to the church, some youth in the area engaged them by throwing stones, using charms and
shooting.
He explained that the men had hesitated until the youth chased them to Ajilete area of the town, where the fight turned violent, leading to the death of some people in the area.
The PRO, who said the NCS would not relent in its efforts at curbing smuggling in the country, alleged that one of the men of the NCS was killed recently by smugglers.
