The Controller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd. ), has been summoned by the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise in connection with the recent killing of five people in Oyo State by officers of the border security agency.
The comptrollers of Katsina, Oyo, and Osun states will also come before the committee for questioning.
Leke Abejide, the committee’s chairman, made the announcement.
The committee was already investigating the killing of five persons in Iseyin, Oyo State, on May 13, 2021 – a Sallah day.
Officers of the Federal Operations Unit of the NCS allegedly killed the persons in an attempt to arrest smugglers and seize smuggled parboiled rice in two sports utility vehicles.
The lawmaker representing lseyin/ltesiwaju/Kajola/lwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State at the House, Mr Shina Peller, on May 18, 2021, moved a motion to demand an investigation into the killings and compensation of the victims’ families.
When contacted for an update on the probe into the killings in Oyo, Abejide said the Katsina killings would also be investigated, while the customs boss was invited for questioning.
“We have written a letter to the CG. We copied the same letter to the comptrollers. They are to appear on 2nd September.
“There was an incident that happened again, where about 10 people died in Jibia; they said customs killed 10 people. Honourable Sada Soli complained that people were killed, so the CG would come the same day as the Comptroller of Katsina Command,” he added.
Abejide had earlier told our correspondent that comptrollers of Oyo and Osun commands, as well as the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement in Oyo, would also answer questions.
