Customs officer shoots colleague dead over smuggled cargoes

BY GODWIN ORITSE
LAGOS — An Assistant Superintendent of Customs, ASC Baba Mohammed, was Monday shot dead by his colleague, Mr. Oseni Musa Tunde, a  Deputy Superintendent of Customs, DSC,  following a scuffle with suspected smugglers at the Seme-Badagry area of Lagos.

Both  officers were said to be attached to the Federal Operations Unit  Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to reliable sources, after the shooting, Mohammed was rushed to  Igando General Hospital for urgent medical attention.

Doctors at the hospital were said to have battled to save the life of the wounded officer but he was pronounced dead after about three hours of treatment.

In a statement, the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Mr. Uche Ejesieme,  said the dead officer was accidentally killed by his  colleague following a struggle with smugglers at the Celenizer Bus-Stop along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

According to a statement signed by Ejesieme,  “on February 16, 2013, acting  on information,  patrol duty team led by Oseni along Seme-Badagry Expressway precisely at Celenizar Bus Stop, intercepted two vehicles — a Mercedes Benz Fakar  and a Passat car — loaded with items suspected to be smuggled/prohibited goods.

“In their attempt to apprehend the suspects alongside the goods, there was stiff resistance by the suspects which degenerated into a struggle between the officers and the smugglers.

“In the ensuing confusion, the  Service pistol in the possession of DSC Oseni, Musa Tunde, the Team Leader accidentally discharged and hit Baba Mohammed who was also a member of the  team.”

“The officer was immediately rushed to Igando General Hospital where the doctor on duty confirmed him dead.”

He further stated that while the exhibits have been transferred to the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, the officer whose Service pistol discharged accidentally has been handed over to the Police for further investigations.