protest by youths from eight of the border communities in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State on October 8 highlighted the tragic incident in which three students were allegedly killed as Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) personnel chased suspected smugglers.
Members of Ipokia Local Government Youths Policy Forum (ILGYPF), drawn from Idiroko, Ago – Sasa, Ijofin, Ilase, Ifoyintedo, Ajegunle, Aseko and Ihunbo, had marched to the offices of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Police Force Divisional Headquarters in Idiroko. They pleaded that the government agencies should carry out their duties without causing sorrow in the communities.
The group’s acting coordinator, Deji Imoleayo, who addressed journalists, alleged that hundreds of innocent lives had been lost as a result of reckless shooting in residential areas by security personnel in pursuit of smugglers and other criminals. “We don’t want any more of all these injudicious killings and all these things that are happening in our Local Government being a border area must stop,” he declared.
Three students of Ojumo Community High School, Ihunbo, Ogun State, were reported to have died on October 7 after being hit by a vehicle driven by a Customs officer. According to a report, “The tragedy ignited tension in the town as aggrieved youths set the vehicle on fire while the Customs men escaped from the scene.”
However, the Customs spokesman in the state, Abdullahi Maiwada, claimed that only one person died in the incident while two others were hospitalised. He said: “It was an accident. We seized a second-hand vehicle in a bush path along Ihunbo… the person driving this Tokunbo vehicle who happened to be an officer tried to swerve away from an okada man (motorcyclist) and in the process, hit some students who were passing by…”
It is unclear whether the driver of the vehicle drove recklessly, but that may well be so. Indeed, security personnel at the borders are said to be notorious for their recklessness. While they are expected to carry out their duties strictly, they should do so with a sense of responsibility. There is no doubt about the need to tackle smuggling at the borders, but recklessness is bad for the public image of the Customs Service and its anti-smuggling campaign.
The recent closure of the country’s land borders by the Federal Government affects the border communities in Ipokia Local Government Area, where the high school students lost their lives. The land borders are likely to remain closed for a long time, going by the remarks of the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, when he addressed the Senate and House of Representatives joint Committee on Finance recently. While discussing the Medium Term Expenditure Framework/ Fiscal Strategy Paper as a prelude to the 2020 Budget, Ali justified the action of the Federal Government and noted that the border closure policy had significantly improved the country’s revenue.
This suggests that anti-smuggling activities will continue at an intense level for some time. However, this is no excuse for recklessness. Customs officers and other security personnel at the closed borders should carry out their duties professionally and responsibly.
It is reassuring that Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced that his administration would find out how the students died. In a statement by his spokesman, the governor said measures would be put in place to prevent a recurrence. He added that those found to be responsible for the deaths would be brought to justice.
This incident should prompt a review of the security operations at the borders. The fight against smuggling is not a fight against the border communities, or a fight against the public.
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