A Customs officer along Benin-Asaba road on Sunday allegedly killed a young man in a passenger bus.
Thenationonline reports that the deceased was said to be coming from Lagos with other passengers when the officers stopped the vehicle and demanded a N5,000 bribe.
In the ensuing altercation, one of the officers shot the passenger, a development that infuriated other passengers.
The passengers reportedly mobilised and prevented the officers from leaving the scene.
TheLagostimes gathered that they also disarmed them before descending on them.
See video:
However, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah denied the conflicting video and reports.
”The attention of (NSC) has been drawn to a disturbing video going viral with conflicting narratives.
”It is painful and totally unnecessary to loose life in anti-smuggling operations.
“Today at Shagamu interchange along Ijebu Ode, attempt to obstruct lawful performance of duty by passengers of a commercial bus, a white Toyota Hiace suspected to be carrying bales of used clothing led to the death of a young man (Godwin) and serious injury of a Customs Officer, ASC1, Destiny Onebamho.
”Contrary to some narratives, the young man was not a passenger of the bus but a good citizen who always come to fetch water for Customs Patrol men anytime they return to the base.
”Preliminary finding indicate that it was during the skirmishes and struggle with the passengers to disarm the officer that the riffle discharged and hit the friend of the Customs (Godwin) who lost his life,” he explained.
He said that the service was already in touch with the bereaved family.
”Sadly, it should be noted that while attention shifted to the dead and the wounded, the passengers who filmed with inciting commentaries boarded their vehicles and left, leaving the wrong impression that it was one of them that was killed.”