For Refusing To Pay Bribe, Nigeria Customs Officers Allegedly Killed A Jos North Trader, Injured Others Along The Shagamu Express Way
Yakubu Busari
The Nigerian Custom Service has been accused of killing one Salisu Badamasi and injuring others five others who escaped with gunshot wounds after forcing them to pay bribes before releasing their goods.
The Chairman of Jos North Market in Kasuwa Banki Alhaji Yahaya Umar also confirmed the alleged bribery scandal involving his members and the Nigerian Customs Service.
He said the Customs officers demanded for N450, 000.00 which was paid to them before they released their goods worth million Naira and the second week the demanded more money.
The association said, they petitioned Comptroller General of Customs over the incident and he replied through a letter dated 21st April, 2016 to settle out of court, however, more than two weeks there has not been any information or response from them.
Represented by their Secretary Alhaji Adamu Aliyu, they said arrangement have been concluded to file a fresh suit challenging the Customs for refusing to honour their agreement reach with them to settle out of court.
Narrating their experience, one of the five persons Adamu Sani, who sustained Gunshot wounds on his legs stated that they traveled with a vehicle with Plate No Plateau state BSA 212XA) and stopped over to eat at Ogere total filing station being the normal Bus stop where travelers stop along the Lagos Ibadan Express Way.
He said, the men of the Nigerian Custom Service arrived as if they were businessmen, but they later opened up that they are Customs Officers and demanded bribe from them, according to him, the driver and the passengers shouted as they stated that they were not ready to give bribe to the Customs personnel, when they were trying to force them to pay bribe.
He explained further that all of a sudden they Customs officers started firing sporadically, scaring motorists with guns when it was obvious that they have been denied the bribe they requested and also opened fire on them, in that process bribe then open fire on them.
Speaking further he said, that Salisu Badamasi who is among the six occupants of the first vehicle died, while five others including him Adamu Sani escaped with gunshots wounds, but that their co traders who were 14 in number who are in front of them got the information and turned back to come and picked the corpse of Salisu Badamasi, unfortunately their car had accident and some of them broke their legs and got other various degrees of injuries.
He disclosed that among the passengers who sustained are one Hamza Sadiq, Mansur Abubakar and Jamilu.
Univeralreporters247.com gathered that the injured businessmen are currently on medication at their respective homes after being discharged from different hospitals.
Earlier their lawyer Barr. Hakib Jibril stated that he written a letter of complaint to the National Assembly request for freedom of expression.
Jibril urged Federal government to investigate the mayhem been perpetrated by the Nigerian Customs Service on highways.
