Protest as Customs men kill five Sallah fun seekers in Oyo
There was tension in Iseyin, Oyo state on Thursday as men of the Nigerian Customs Service allegedly shot dead five persons in the town during the clash with suspected smugglers.
The Customs men were said to be pursuing a Sport Utility Vehicle conveying bags of rice when the clash occurred.
Residents said that the Customs men started shooting and bullets hit some persons who were out celebrating the Eid-il-Fitri and five of them died.
The killings were said to have sparked a protest in the town.
The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiyy Salau, condemned the killings in a statement.
The monarch said Customs personnel should henceforth keep to the 40 kilometre radius to the border, which the law allowed them, in order to stop wasting the lives of his subjects.
Oba Salau said, “We no longer allow Customs officers and men to continue wasting the lives of our promising young ones, our future and hope, and do, drastic steps shall be taken to look into the remote and the immediate causes of the killings.
“The Aseyin-in-Council is going to intervene in this matter and we shall get to the root of it. I enjoin members of the families of the victims to repose confidence in the traditional institution, because prompt actions are being taken to allow peace to reign permanently in the town”.
