The wanton killing of defenseless Nigerians by security operatives continues with the Ogun Customs Comptroller confessing that his men indeed fired the stray bullets which eliminated innocent citizens in the border towns of Ayetoro and Owode Yewa.
Expressing concern over the killings, Mr Peter Chad Kolo, the new Comptroller in charge of Ogun 1 Area Command explained that the incident was an indirect fallout of cross fire between customs men and smugglers.
Consequently, he has taken his campaign for better understanding of Customs operations to traditional rulers in the state.
His first visit was to the Ake palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo who also had with him two retired foremost comptrollers, the Agura of Gbagura, Oba Saburi Babajide Bakare and the Olu of Kobape, Oba Olufemi Allen Taylor.
Pleading passionately with the monarchs, Kolo admitted culpability of many of his trigger-happy operatives but vowed to do everything within his powers to halt the incessant killings resulting from his men’s combats with criminal elements involved in smuggling activities in the state.
In his own words, the Comptroller said: “I had witnessed some ugly incidents in the few weeks that I resumed in the state. There has been loss of lives through stray bullets during cross fire between Customs and Smugglers and the worst thing is that the innocent lives were affected.
“This is the reason why we have to come out and appeal to our Royal fathers and stakeholders for their collaboration to prevail on our youths to stop smuggling but embrace legitimate businesses. We are ready to facilitate,encourage and support legal trades”
Kolo declared that his Command is not a killer squad, but a revenue generating agent operating under the rules and guidelines set up by the Federal Government.
According to him, Nigeria Customs Service is not a bloodthirsty organisation but a government agent that work under laid down rules and regulations hence, the need for Traditional rulers and all necessary stakeholders to join hands and support the Customs.
He, therefore, pleaded with Oba Gbadebo and other monarchs in the state to educate and enlighten their subjects particularly, Smugglers and the youths on the need to see Customs officers as friends who are working for the economic development of the Nation.
Happily, he disclosed that he has already taken some steps to halt the ugly trend and has further informed Customs headquarters all they needed believing that such incidents will not occur again.
He sued for better understanding and more cooperation with Traditional rulers and all stakeholders saying, the craze for imported goods by Nigerians is doing no good but hampering the nation’s economic development and thereby generating more unemployment for the youths.
Responding, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo pledged his support for the Customs Command and prayed for the new Controller to succeed in Ogun State.
The two other monarchs, Oba Bakare and Oba Allen Taylor also pledged their support to ensure a successful tenure for their former colleague.
