At least four people have died and another has been badly injured in Iseyin, Oyo state during a shoot out between officers of the Nigerian Customs Services and suspected smugglers.
The situation has now caused tension in the community as families and friends of the victims have already begun protesting. Efforts have already started to identify the late victims but the identity and names of those affected could not be established as at the time of filing this report.
The Public Relation Officer of the NCS Oyo/Osun Area Command, Kayode Wey has since reacted to questions by journalists saying he has not yet been briefed and is not aware of which command the Customs operatives in question are attached to. He promised to get back to them with more information as soon as he had all the facts, however.
Following the shooting however, the Aseyin of Iseyin land, Oba Abdulganiyu Adekunle Salau Oloogunebi – Ajinese I has warned the NCS to ensure that their officers are at least 40km away from the Ayegun border from now on.
The Iseyin Monarch released a press statement yesterday and described the killing of the youths, especially on a festive day meant to bring joy as a terrible occurrence that must be learnt from to prevent a reoccurrence in the future. He also called for his people, especially Rice dealers in the region to remain calm and assured them that he would do everything within his power to ensure that justice is served
In his words: “we will no longer allow custom officers to continue wasting the lives of our promising younger ones, our future and hope and so, drastic steps shall be taken to look into both the remote and the immediate causes of the killings.”
“Aseyin-in-Council is going to wade into this matter and we shall get to the root of it. I enjoin members of the families affected by the casualties to repose confidence on the traditional institution because prompt actions are being taken to allow peace to reign permanently in the town.
Mr Muftau Abilawon, the former Caretaker Chairman of Iseyin Local Government Council, confirmed the bloody incident to the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview on Thursday night.
“I have been duly informed by a traditional Chief, the Ikolaba of Iseyin, Chief Ismail Tikalosoro, who called me and narrated the incident to me on phone.
“He advised that I brief the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security about the matter, which I did immediately and he has promised to intervene.
“ I understand that the four corpses were taken to the palace of the Aseyin of Iseyin, where the chiefs appealed for calm and asked the aggrieved residents to deposit the corpses at Fadoks hospital.
“The chiefs also begged them not to set the Customs base in Iseyin ablaze, which they yielded to but it was too late for the Toyota Hilux van as it was on fire already before the appeal,’’ he said.
Abilawon, who had resigned from office to participate in forthcoming council elections, appealed for calm and order in the ancient town.
