The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has said that four out of the five-members patrol team involved in the killing of a civilian, Godwin Onoja, on Sunday have been detained.
Recall that Onoja was shot by a member of the five-man Customs patrol team at the Sagamu interchange.
A video of the incident which had gone viral on the social media showed a woman shouting that Onoja had been killed while the team was trying to extort N5, 000 from some travellers.
The passengers had been travelling in an Iyare Motor’s passenger bus from Lagos to Benin.
A statement by the NCS Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, on Tuesday, however stated that a panel set up to investigate the killing could not conclude its investigation because the officer, who accidentally shot Onoja, Destiny Onebamho, was receiving medical treatment as he was attacked by motorists following the killing.
He promised that Onebamho would be questioned once he was fit to enable the panel conclude investigations and recommend appropriate actions to be taken against the operatives.
He also expressed the Service’s pain over the unfortunate killing of Onoja stating that it was in touch with the family of the deceased.
The statement said the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) has directed a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident with a view to ensuring that justice was served.
It read in part: “Following the unfortunate incident of Sunday, February 17, 2019, at the Sagamu interchange involving operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, which led to the death of a fellow citizen, Mr Godwin Onoja, the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to maintain close contact with the bereaved family.
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“We are pained by this sad development and share the grief of losing a fellow compatriot in a seemingly avoidable circumstance. We will continue to take every necessary step to cushion the pain associated with losing a dear one.
“In line with this directive, the investigation panel headed by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’, ACG Kaycee Ekekezie, has interrogated and detained four members of the patrol team.
“The panel could not immediately conclude the investigation because the actual officer, ASCI Destiny Onebamho, whose rifle accidentally discharged and killed Onoja, is presently receiving medical attention following the attack on him owing to the unfortunate incident. He will face the panel as soon as he is fit to do so to enable the panel conclude investigation and recommend appropriate actions.”
