The House of Representatives has demanded investigation into the murder of residents of Igangan, Igbo Ora, Ayete, Tapa in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State by men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep Ajibola Muraina on the floor of the House on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that at about 8:00pm on July 16, 2021, men of the NCS attacked Igangan, Igbo- Ora, Ayete, Tapa, and other communities in Ibarapa Area of Oyo State.
He stated that this resulted in the death of four harmless and innocent residents., adding that the attackers dressed in NCS and Nigeria Army uniforms.
He added that they also drove on
high speed into the communities in a convoy of two Toyota Hilux and one Toyota Sienna bus.
He said that without provocation from the residents, the NCS shot sporadically in built-up areas and killed Muritala Ajasa, the Amotekun Commandant in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area, at Igbo-Ora.
He said they also killed two passers-by at Igangan and one person at Ayete, leaving several residents with life-threatening gunshot injuries.
He said on June 6 about 40 days before the attack, Igangan was invaded in the night by suspected armed bandits who reportedly killed 15 residents and razed down the Afin Oba (Palace), two Petrol filling stations.
He added that they also destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
The lawmaker said that the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Mr Theophilus Duniya, issued a press release admitting that the attack was a face-off between NCS men and suspected smugglers.
He said that the smugglers were resisting seizure of smuggled rice by allegedly inciting a mob to attack the Customs men, which resulted in the shooting and eventual disarming of one of the smugglers.
He said that because of several similar conflicts with men of NCS in the
past, which had resulted in the death of innocent residents, leaders of the affected communities, had made
several appeal to NCS to reduce the number of patrols carried out by armed Nigeria.
He added that this had proved futile as the service instead increased and
intensified patrols despite the fact that the communities are over 200 kilometers away from the closest border post,
He said that residents of the affected communities affirmed that the 4 persons who were killed, as well as several others who sustained life-threatening injuries were not smugglers but ordinary residents carrying out their daily activities.
He said that the service instead of being remorseful, continue to threaten residents of the affected communities and the general public.
This according to him, is under the
guise of doing all it takes to suppress smuggling activities.
The House however observes a one-minute silence in honour of the deceased victims of the Igangan shooting
The House condemned the killing of four persons at Igangan, Igbo Ora, Ayete, and Tapa in the Ibarapa Area, of
Oyo State by men NCS, while condoled with the families and friends of all those who lost their lives in the crisis
The House also mandated the Committee on Customs and Excise to investigate the shootings at Igangan with a view to ensuring that victims were adequately compensated.
The House asked the committee to report back within three weeks for further legislative action.
