Customs officials kill three in Lagos

Some officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja yesterday allegedly shot dead three residents of Ijora Badia community of Lagos.

According to an eyewitness account, the officials, whose identities were yet unknown, had stormed the area while the police were carrying out a separate operation and shot sporadically, killing three persons.

It was gathered that the officers were at the scene at the invitation of some residents of the Hausa community, 10 of whom had earlier been arrested by the police.

On Monday in a raid of some black spots at the White sand area of Ijora Badia.

The officers stormed there to secure the arrested hoodlums’ release, but met stiff resistance from the community.

A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “Some customs officers have killed three persons where the Divisional Police Officer of Badia Police Division was performing an operation.

“The custom officers were invited by some Hausa miscreants affected by the operation because the DPO had arrested 10 persons of Hausa extraction over alleged criminal activities. When the customs officers came today, they started harassing some of us. Suddenly, they started shooting at us and killed three people.”

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, however said only one person died, while two others were recuperating in the hospital.

She said: “The community and the police were on joint operation of raiding black spots within the community and arresting suspected criminals yesterday.

“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 people were hit by the bullets. As a result, one death was recorded while two others are receiving treatment in the hospital. Policemen are not involved.”