Four killed as customs officers clash with ‘smugglers’ in Oyo

Four persons were killed when officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) engaged suspected smugglers in a shootout in Iseyin, Oyo state, on Thursday.

Residents were thrown into a state of panic over the exchange of gunshots between the customs personnel and suspected smugglers.

Muftau Abilawon, the former caretaker chairman of Iseyin LG council, confirmed the incident to NAN.

“I have been duly informed by a traditional Chief, the Ikolaba of Iseyin, Chief Ismail Tikalosoro, who called me and narrated the incident to me on phone,” he said.

“He advised that I brief the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security about the matter, which I did immediately and he has promised to intervene.

“I understand that the four corpses were taken to the palace of the Aseyin of Iseyin, where the chiefs appealed for calm and asked the aggrieved residents to deposit the corpses at Fadoks hospital.

“The chiefs also begged them not to set the Customs base in Iseyin ablaze, which they yielded to but it was too late for the Toyota Hilux van as it was on fire already before the appeal.”

TheCable understands that a motorcycle operator was killed after getting caught in the middle of the shootout.

A family member confirmed that the motorcycle operator was buried in the early hours of Friday.

Adewale Osifeso, Oyo state police spokesman, did not respond to calls and messages sent to him to confirm the incident.