Police Probe Death Of Customs Agent

The Police at the Ifo Division of the Ogun State Command have launched investigation into the  circumstances surrounding the death of the former Vice Chairman of the National Association of  Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Idi-Iroko chapter, Chief Anayo Nwaekezie, who was  allegedly killed by customs officers on 31 January.

Police are investigating the matter following the controversy surrounding the death of the freight  forwarding agent.

While the Customs at Idiroko border claimed that the agent was killed during a shootout with smugglers  in the area, the Chairman of NAGAFF, Idi-Iroko chapter, Chief Uche Atueyi, disagreed with the Customs  and called on the Police to probe the death.

In his letter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Ifo Division, Atueyi called for investigation  into the death of his late vice chairman, suggesting that he was murdered by Customs officers.

He disclosed details of his meeting with the DPO over the incident and how he was made to understand  that Nwaekezie was shot dead by the roadside.

Some Customs Officers found at the scene reportedly told the DPO that they were attacked by some  smugglers and they fired back.

The customs patrol team, it was learnt, took only an empty Iveco bus to the police station without the  goods allegedly being smuggled into the coutry by the late Nwaekezie and his colleagues.

Atueyi disclosed that when he requested from the DPO at the station the goods alleged to have been  smuggled by the deceased, the DPO stated that the Customs officers did not bring the smuggled goods to  the station but claimed that they offloaded the contraband.

The customs patrol team described the late Nwaekezie as a smuggler and was shot when members of the  gang engaged the customs officers in a shootout.

The corpse, P.M.NEWS gathered further, has been released to the family for burial.

—Moses Falobi