Tragedy struck in Iseyin, Oyo State, on Thursday, when men of the Nigeria Customs Service allegedly shot dead five persons during a clash with suspected smugglers.
The Customs men were said to be pursuing a Sport Utility Vehicle conveying bags of rice when the clash occurred.
The victims who were out celebrating the Eid-el-Fitri, were hit by stray bullets. Five of them died, leading to protest in the town.
The monarch of Iseyin, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdulganiyy Salau, has sent out a formal statement condemning the killings.
The Aseyin stressed that Customs personnel should henceforth keep to the 40-kilometre radius to the border, which the law allowed them, in order to stop wasting the lives of his subjects.
He said, “We will no longer allow Customs officers and men to continue wasting the lives of our promising young ones, our future and hope, and so drastic steps shall be taken to look into the remote and the immediate causes of the killings.
“The Aseyin-in-Council is going to intervene in this matter and we shall get to the root of it. I enjoined members of the families of the victims to repose confidence in the traditional institution, because prompt actions are being taken to allow peace to reign permanently in the town.”
