By Christopher Oji
OfficERS of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday allegedly shot dead three persons and injured three others at Ijora Badiya area of Lagos. The operatives attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, Ikeja, allegedly shot the victims when they stormed the place.
The officers stormed the place during raid on suspected criminal hideouts by the police.
A witness, Wasiu, said the customs officers had stormed the area while the police were carrying out raid on some hideouts and started shooting sporadically to scare the police away and in the process killed three persons.
It was gathered that the custom officers were allegedly invited by some suspects arrested during the raid by the police.
The police have been carrying out a raid on some black spots at the White sand area of Ijora Badia since Monday and arrested 10 suspected hoodlums.
Some of the suspects’ relatives were alleged to have invited their brothers in customs to rescue them from the police who had threatened to charge them to the court.
The Customs officers were alleged to have stormed the scene and tried to rescue their relatives, but met stiff resistance from some residents who were in support of the police.
Another witness who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: “We invited the Police to the community to raid some dark sports. While the police were performing their duties, some Customs officers came and tried to forcefully release some arrested suspects, but we resisted them. The Customs men were angry and shot three persons.
they opened fire on us. Three persons were shot dead while three others were injured.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, confirmed that only one person died, while two others were injured and are recuperating in the hospital.
She said, “The community and the police were on joint operation, raiding black spots within the Hausa community and arrested some suspected criminals. “In the process, some officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), who were on convoy with officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had an encounter with some of the hoodlums.
“They fired some shots and three persons were hit by bullets. As a result, one death was recorded while two others are receiving treatment in the hospital. Policemen are not involved in the shootout.”