Customs Officers Shoot Farmer While Trailing Rice Smugglers

A farmer, Abidemi Dairo, has been allegedly shot by some men of the Nigeria Customs Service in front of his house in Sarumi, Ilaro, in the Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

It was learnt that the officers were pursuing suspected smugglers who were transporting bags of rice on motorcycles across Ifedapo village when the incident happened on Saturday.

When the police visited the scene, they reportedly picked expended bullet shells at the victim’s house, whose walls were riddled with bullets.

Dairo, who narrated the incident to our reporter, claimed to be relaxing in front of his house when he was shot.

He said, “I was relaxing in front of my house on Saturday when a Customs Hilux van sped through our village in their bid to catch smugglers.

“Some of the villagers started shouting at them because children were playing around, and at that speed, there could be an accident.

“The officers returned after apprehending the smugglers and opened fire in front of my house and I was hit by their bullets.

“As I screamed, they left; my children and neighbours took me to the Ilaro Police Station and later to a hospital, where I was treated.”

A friend of the victim, Abinuwaye Ajayi, who confirmed the incident, queried why the officers shot at Dairo after apprehending their targets.

A neighbour, Oladele Mulero, said, “I was among those who carried him to a police station, where we reported the matter, and later to a hospital. Since this thing happened, the Customs officers have not deemed it fit to visit him; only the police have been coming here.”

The Customs Public Relations Officer, Zone A, Peter Duniya, said he was not aware of the incident.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to get back to our correspondent after speaking with the divisional police officer in the area.

He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report. Punch Online Report