The Image Maker of Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigerian Custom Service, Abdullahi Lagos Abiola in an interview with Mayor Isaac Brown of Fresh FM, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State has condemned the action of officers that were allegedly involved in a clash that turned out bloody between the residents of Iseyin and some Custom Officers.
According to Abiola,”it happened that a vehicle was stopped for search by some officers of the Nigerian Custom Service at Iseyin area of Oyo State after they suspected that it was carrying some contrabands, alas nothing was found and this infuriated the occupants of the vehicle and ensued into a fight that got one of them fired by an officer”.
” This further aggravated and led to a massive protest by the residents of Iseyin”.
“This incident brought to remembrance the agony of Late Hon. Temitope Olatoye Sugar, who in an interview before his demise rebuked the regulations of the force on their duties and operations, as to the raiding of shops and impounding of goods that could have been stopped from entering at the borders”.
The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Force also certified that it is against the ethics of their operations to have engagements that will lead to casualties.
He also claimed that the officers involved were not of their Area Command but officers of the Federal Operations Units of the Force.
When asked if they were not carried along before the raid, he said the officers acted outside the rule of engagement.
He however acknowledged that the people of Iseyin have always been cooperative and supportive in times past, hence the reason for the surprise and worries about the incident, which made the Customs Area Controller of the Area Command to direct the Resident Officers of Iseyin to intervene and eventually restored normalcy, alongside the Police Force in the area.
He went on to say that illegal patrols will definitely be punished after investigations, and assured the people of Iseyin that the bond they’ve always had together with the Custom will remain, as such incident will not be permitted to repeat itself.
