Lawmakers Tackle Colleague, Abejide over ‘Self Defence’ Claim on Incessant Customs’ Killings

Udora Orizu in Abuja

Members of the House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday bemoaned the comment made by their colleague, Hon. Leke Abejide (ADC, Kogi), that the killings of Nigerians at border communities by Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) personnel is not deliberate, rather it’s a form of self-defence during altercation with smugglers.

Abejide, who is the chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, gave the assertion while contributing to a motion sponsored by Hon. Kolawole Lawal, on incessant killings by NCS officers in Egbado South/Ipokia federal constituency of Ogun State.

Lawal had while moving his expressed concerns that in the past few months, Egbado South/Ipokia constituency has been subjected to psychological trauma due to incessant killings of law-abiding citizens by men of the NCS in the guise of clamping down on smugglers.

He further expressed concerns that the incessant and sporadic shootings by men of the Service have resulted in the death of several students and varying degrees of injuries to many constituents of Egbado South/Ipokia.

The lawmaker said men of the NCS claimed that the accidental killings occurred in the course of discharging their duties while pursuing smugglers, which end in the death of innocent people while the suspects escaped unharmed leaving the families of the deceased and the communities in deep grief for the irreparable loss of their loved ones.

Listing instances of such incidents, he said: “We are aware that on October 7, 2019, men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) ran into some students of Ojumo Community High School, Ihunbo in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, who were returning from school, killed three students and injured many others with their vehicle. Also, on 1 May, 2020, Ridwan Bello, an SS2 student of Area Community High School in Owode– Yewa was killed by a stray bullet, and another killing by the men of NCS was recorded on March 28, 2020, when a stray bullet hit 15-year-old Miss Sekinat Agbelade, an SS3 student of Agosasa High School.”

The lawmaker, therefore, urged the House to observe a minute of silence in memory of all the victims of unlawful killings by men of the NCS.

He also prayed the federal government to ensure that the officers who were indicted in the incidents are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other officers.

Lawal further prayed the House to mandate the Committee on Customs and Excise to liaise with the Service to ensure that officers are trained and retrained to avoid killing of innocent people as well as maintain professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

While contributing, the Chairman of Committee on Customs, Abejide, said investigations from his committee have shown that people living in border communities have not being able to differentiate between smuggling and real job.

While noting that he’s not in support of the accidental killings by Customs officers, he asserted that the killings are not deliberate but occur when people living in the border communities get caught up in the face-off between Customs officers and smugglers.

He said: “I am not speaking against the motion; I just want to explain certain things concerning the killings by the officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). You’re aware recently that we considered a report whereby Customs were asked to pay N390 million to some people in different communities in Oyo State. If I’m in support of that, I wouldn’t have asked the Customs to pay such amount to families of the victims.”

However, his comment sparked uproar in the chamber, as many of his colleagues decried it.

The Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, while asking him if he was justifying the killings, wondered why the Customs officers who are chasing smugglers would shoot at the citizens.

“Are you justifying the killings? Are you saying it’s self-defence?” Gbajabiamila queried.

Responding, Abejide said yes, that it’s a case of self-defence.

Following another uproar to his response, a member, Ahmed Abdullahi Kalambaina (APC, Sokoto), moved that an ad hoc committee be set up to investigate the killings rather than the Customs committee headed by Abejide to avoid bias.

Supporting Abejide’s assertion, the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), noted that Customs Committee has more knowledge about the issue, and should be allowed to investigate it.

He said: “I understand the misgivings of my colleague who’s proposing an ad hoc committee. It’s very clear from the previous motion and resolution, and report laid down by chairman of Customs Committee before this House that there’s a recurrence of interface between Customs and our citizens. It is common knowledge that our citizens live across each border community without even knowing what the differences are. Our citizens are not tutored on the illegality of smuggling and it happens throughout the Nigerian borders. The chairman of the committee has the knowledge of these issues; he’s the man in charge, and I will suggest the only way to do it, is to let him be on top of this investigation.”

Reacting also, Gbajabiamila disagreed with his opinion, saying the ad hoc committee is needed as the chairman of Customs Committee unfortunately has drawn attention that his committee has made up its mind that Customs is not liable.

Gbajabiamila said: “I understand where you are coming from, but you’re also aware that under what circumstances do we set up ad hoc committees? It’s a rhetorical question; circumstances where you feel that the standing committee will not do justice to the job, and in law, justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. Hon. Leke, the chairman of Customs Committee unfortunately has drawn attention that the committee has made up its mind that Customs is not liable. Nobody is saying the Customs is liable, he may well be right but we must follow our procedures.”

Also contributing, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC, Abia) was of the view that the Customs Committee chairman’s comment was being misinterpreted.

She said: “We like to pretend a lot, and sometimes when people don’t pretend, they seem to be misunderstood. Hon. Leke specifically said he’s not in support of Customs officers killing our citizens. Even the motion said it that there shall be reorientation and training of Customs officers. He’s being misunderstood. We should be able to differentiate when someone is bias and when he or she is stating the obvious.”

Interjecting, Gbajabiamila said: “The prayer for reorientation of customs officers stands, and it’s going to the Committee on Customs. What has happened is that a new amendment that has nothing to do with the prayers of the motion on a narrow subject of killings has now be brought in. The question therefore is that based on what the Customs Committee chairman said on the floor, is it right having manifestly indicted that this killings are not the fault of Customs to now ask him to investigate it?”

The Speaker thereafter put the amendments as moved by Hon. Kalambaina and Hon. Toby to a voice vote, majority of the lawmakers who rejected Toby’s amendment agreed with Kalambaina that an ad hoc committee be set up to investigate the killings.