Pandemonium as customs officer allegedly shot motorist in iseyin
Segun Showunmi in Ibadan
A chieftain of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW),of Iseyin-Moniya park in Iseyin town of Oyo State, Lateef Aboki has been allegedly shot by suspected customs official
Penpushing reports that, the head of the motor park, Lateef Shittu popularly called ‘Akue’, said he got a call that one of his executive members was shot by a customs officer at the park and he immediately contacted the Divisional Police officer (DPO) Iseyin, who got to the spot immediately to take control of situation before it degenerated to chaos.
“I was called around 4pm that some customs officers in mufti chased a vehicle which they believed was carrying a bag of rice to our park and in the process, hit one of our buses, he told journalists.
“They were asked to identify themselves as they wore no uniform and were in a private Lexus Jeep and instead of doing that, they started shooting, unfortunately one of the bullets hit one of my executive members, named Lateef Aboki in the chest.
“We thank God that he is responding to treatment and we also call on the authority to warn the Nigerian Customs officers to apply decorum and professionalism when doing their job’,Shittu stated
“The vehicle they chased did not carry any rice when they eventually searched it, why chasing vehicles with private vehicle and in mufti? Do they even need to chase vehicles in the town and be shooting when they know there are many people walking by or those unknowingly driving by.”
The source at the town, however, said, as at the time of filing this report, the alleged customs official was reported to have, among three others in mufti and in a private Lexus Jeep chased a public transport vehicle to the park on suspicion of the vehicle carrying a bag of rice.
Penpushing further reports that, the alleged men of the Nigerian Customs were said to have fled when Aboki was hit by a bullet, while the victim was later rushed to the hospital, where he was said to be responding to treatment.
The Divisional Police officer who was at the scene persuaded the motorists not to take law into their hands and later towed the Lexus Jeep belonging to the Customs Officer to the police station for further investigation.
