Customs Boss Commiserates With Family Of Slain Trader

The Customs Area Comptroller, Ogun Area I, Prince Ade Dosumu, has commiserated with the family of Fausat Bankole, a trader who was killed  on Thursday, 20 June,  at Ilase check point in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, by one of his officers on a stop and search duty in the area.

The comptroller confirmed that the killer of the woman had been identified, apprehended and detained.

Explaining what led to the death of the woman at a press conference held at the Nigeria Customs Service base in Idiroko, Ogun State, shortly after the incident, the comptroller said that the patrol team led by Senior Inspector of Customs, Adewole was dispatched to the area following an intelligence report that a vehicle carrying contraband was in the area.

He said a Nissan Sunny car with registration number, KSF 945 AV  which was stopped for a check by his officers fit the description of the vehicle.

He said when the driver of the Nissan Sunny car refused to stop for a check, the officer in question aimed at the one of the tyres of the vehicle but his shot missed its target and hit the woman who was rushed to the Nigeria Customs Service clinic at Idiroko for treatment. But the woman was later confirmed dead at the clinic.

The comptroller disclosed that a 10-man committee headed by the Deputy Comptroller had tried the officer who allegedly killed the woman and he was thereafter handed over to the police for further investigation.

He assured members of the public that the authority of the Nigeria Customs Service will not protect the accused officer, saying justice will be done.

“We are disciplined officers and the authority has on several occasions warned its officers to be careful in the way they handle arms and ammunition. We are sent here to enforce customs’ laws and not to spill  blood,” Dosumu said.

He appealed to the aggrieved family and the residents of the area not to take laws into their hands but to allow the law to take its course.

In his response, Alhaji Gafar Sanni Oyede, father of the deceased who led the representatives of the family to the venue of the press conference, ldescribed the death of his 45-year old daughter and mother of five as a great loss to the family.

He stated that the family is not prepared topursue the matter in court.

“We are not prepared to make case with anyone. Will that bring back my daughter to life again? No. We leave everything to Allah who knows best. But I would only urge the authorities  of Nigeria Customs Service to consider the children  the deceased left behind who are still of school age,” the bereaved father stated.

—Adefemi Omoniyi/Idiroko