Senate Probes Customs Over Firearms Abuse

•Says concession not budgetary allocation best way to tackle infrastructure decay

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate yesterday constituted an ad hoc committee to investigate what it termed the indiscriminate use of firearms by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The red chamber lamented that the development had resulted in killings of Nigerians in land borders and check points across the country.

Senate’s resolution followed the consideration and adoption of a motion at plenary sponsored by Senator Abdulazize Yar’adua (APC-Kastina Central).

The motion was titled” Urgent Need to Investigate  the Abuse of firearms by Officers of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Kastina  State”

 The Committee, which  has  Sen. Francis Fadahunsi (PDP-Osun) as Chairman,  has six weeks to present report of its findings to the Senate..

Other members of the committee include Senators Shuaibu Lau(PDP-Taraba) Kawu Sumaila (NNPP- Kano), Tony Nwoye (LP-Anambra), Umar Sadiq,(APC-Kwara) Akpan Samson, (PDP-Akwa-Ibom) and Senator Solomon Adeola,(APC-Ogun)

Others are Yar’adua, Olajide Emmanuel (APC-Ondo), Mohammed Muntari (APC-Katsina) and Napoleon Bali (PDP- Plateau)

Yar’adua had in his lead debate said it remained a fact that  officers of the NCS were authorised to carry firearms while discharging their duties.

This, he said was aimed at assisting the service to effectively counter activities of smugglers, who have recently become emboldened in their attack on customs personnel in many cases using sophisticated weapons.

He, however, expressed worry  that some officers of the NCS, who should be civil and professional in their engagements and handling of firearms have had series of shootings of innocent citizens.

According to him  on August 14, 2021, the former Governor of Katsina State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, threatened to sue the NCS over the killing of residents during border drills in the state.

He said during same period, the House of Representatives invited the former Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hamid Ali (rtd) to appear before it to explain the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident.

He said given the recurring killings of innocent people by Customs operatives in Katsina, the House of Representatives on  February 3, 2022, ordered the NCS to pay N390 million as compensation to families of 10 victims that were killed and 13 others injured in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Yar’adua added: “On  July  13, the Chief of Staff to the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Jabiru Tsauri had a narrow escape from a harrowing assault from NCS officials.

“Officers of the NCS at a location near Gorar Yammama highway shot indiscriminately at the vehicle conveying the Chief of Staff to the governor with other aides and close family members.”

He expressed concern that officials of the NCS were yet to apprehend or arrest the erring officers or bring them to book for the unfortunate incident.

Yar’adua added that in Sept 2021, personnel of the NCS shot at the convoy of former Katsina State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy,Alhaji Umar Gwajo-Gwajo while driving from Daura to Mia’adua Local Government Area of Katsina State.

He expressed concern that the inability to checkmate the recurring abuse of firearms by officers of the NCS, might lead to loss of innocent lives and possibly reprisal attacks by angered civilians.

Contributing, Senators Ahmed Lawan, Solomon Adeola, among others commended the sponsor for the motion and decried the alleged killings of  Nigerians by the NCS.

The Senate further in its resolutions  condemned  the indiscriminate shooting by officers of the NCS on July 13. in Katsina State.

It urged the NCS to fish out the erring officers and investigate the incident that led to the custom operatives to open fire on unarmed civilians. It urged the NCS to improve on the training of its personnel in handling of firearms, especially fire discipline when dealing with Nigerian citizens.

President of Senate , Godswill Akpiabio in his remark, said  the senate must look at the issue holistically, given the submissions of lawmakers on the motion.

He said the contributions by senators revealed that  people have been shot at different times, hence the need to holistically investigate  the matter.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday, urged the federal government to consider the use of concession to tackle the issue road infrastructure decay across the country.

The Senate also set up an ad hoc committee to compile a compendium of all the affected federal roads and erosion sites across the country.

The roads are either awarded but abandoned by contractors or have not been awarded at all and to be forwarded to the executive arm for urgent intervention.

The Senate’s resolution were sequel to a motion moved by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau during plenary.

The motion was co-sponsored by 107 senators tagged “Collapse of Road Infrastructure in Nigeria”.

He expressed concern over, “the near collapse of the entire road infrastructure in Nigeria.”

Barau said that many federal roads were in very deplorable conditions that hardly any part of the country could boast of motorable roads.

Seconding the motion Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, said that the fuel subsidy removal coupled with bad roads would unleash hardship on citizens.

Sen. Karimi Sunday (APC-Kogi) said the issue of road construction and rehabilitation in the country, “is becoming a huge problem.

In his comment, Akpabio commended the last administration of Muhammadu Buhari for finding alternative means of funding road infrastructure.

He equally urged the current administration to continue in that regard.

Akpabio also announced Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi (PDP-Kebbi) as chairman of the ad hoc committee set up.