Tension has gripped residents of Oke Odan town in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State following the killing of six persons by operatives of the Nigerian Customs Services.
The Customs personnel were said to be pursuing smugglers when they opened fire and shot dead six persons in the town on Sunday.
The shooting was said to have taken place at about 6:30pm at Alakara Bus Stop, Oke Odan.
Information available to The media has it that the Customs officers were pursuing some suspected rice smugglers in a long convoy.
The smugglers were said to be coming from Igolo, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic, and heading towards Sango in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
However, those who were caught by the bullets from the Customs officers were said not to be the smugglers, but innocent people of the town carrying out their legitimate duties in their shops and kiosks.
Witnesses identified those killed as three children, a motor mechanic, a panel beater and a secondary school leaver, simply identified as Ade.
The Coordinator of Yewa Connecting Minds, Prince Ekunola Gbenga Abraham, popularly known as PEGA, said the town was not ready to sweep the killing under the carpet.
Abraham alleged that the killing of villagers was becoming one too many on the part of the Customs officers who fire at villagers and later claim that the victims were shot at because they were smugglers, to cover their tracks.
He demanded that the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Colonel Hameed Ali, should hand over the killer officers to the Police for peace to reign in the area.
He said they were ready to put an end to the unprovoked attack on villagers by Customs men who would always claim that their victims were smugglers.
He said: “Enough is enough of this wanton killings.
“We want the Comptroller to hand over the killer to the police to investigate the matter.”
The YCM condemned what it described as the desperate attempt to exonerate the real culprits behind the killing in the area, saying the development is alarming and criminally intended to shield the officials of Customs who committed the atrocities from justice.
Accusing the Customs, especially those simply identified as Officers Ade and Ajao, of aiding rice smuggling and collecting bribes from perpetrators, the aggrieved residents lamented that the deceased had never engaged in the illegal act.
The group said it is lending its voice to the demand for the prosecution of all those involved in the heinous act by the appropriate security agencies
Abraham warned that shielding the perpetrators from justice would encourage more killings as they would be encouraged to consider their murderous acts as normal.
He said: “I am appealing to our people go about their legitimate businesses without fear of disruption from any quarters.
“I also call on our members to remain calm in the face of provocation.
“We have confidence in the government and justice shall be done.”
