ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE
Customs officer guns down colleague in face-off with suspected smugglers in Lagos
Detectives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) are currently trying to unravel the circumstances in which the life of an officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was allegedly accidentally snuffed out last Saturday by the service pistol of another Customs officer.
The owner of the alleged killer-pistol, it was learnt, was allegedly leading a team of operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, NCS, which got into a skirmish with suspected smugglers along Seme– Badagry Expressway, Lagos, during which the tragic incident occurred.
It was gathered that the suspect, who is in Police net, Deputy Superintendent of Customs Musa Tunde Oseni, had allegedly led eight other Customs personnel, including the victim, Assistant Superintendent of Police Baba Mohammed, on “information patrol duty” at about 7.32am last Saturday at Celenizar Bus Stop along Seme – Badagry Expressway, during which the team intercepted two vehicles – a Mercedes-Benz Fakar bus and a Volkswagen Passat car – loaded with items suspected to be smuggled / prohibited goods.
The Customs Public Relations Officer, FOU, Zone ‘A’, NCS, Uche Ejesieme, stated: “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, a Service pistol in the possession of DSC Oseni, Musa Tunde – the Team Leader accidentally discharged and hit one of the officers in the team by name Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC) II, Baba Mohammed. The officer was immediately rushed to Igando General Hospital where the Doctor on duty confirmed him dead.”
The exhibits, according to Ejesieme, have been transferred to the Customs FOU, Zone ‘A’ Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos, “while the officer whose Service pistol discharged accidentally has been handed over to the Police for further investigations.”
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