One killed, three injured as Customs, youths clash in Ogun

One person was killed and three others were injured by stray bullets fired by men of  Nigeria Customs Service in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The incident happened at the Kikelomo area in Ayetoro early morning on Tuesday following a clash between the customs and the youths in the area.

The officers had reportedly stormed the area following a tip-off on smuggling activities.

The stray bullets were allegedly fired by customs officers who stormed the area to evacuate the alleged smuggled bags of rice.

According to an eyewitness, the fracas started when a young man, identified simply as  Sola was allegedly hit by a stray bullet from one of the officers of the NCS.

She said Sola was pacifying his colleagues to allow the officers to go about their duties after they (the youths) mounted a roadblock, preventing the officers from gaining entry into an alleged illegal warehouse.

She said, “Customs officers were going to their duty post when some youths formed a roadblock to stop them. The guy that was shot was one of the guys that came to appeal to the youths to allow the officers to go about their duty.

“He was  hit by a stray bullet when the officers started shooting.”

The eyewitness claimed that Sola and four others were killed during the violence.

Our correspondent gathered that the violence took another dimension when some youths from the village of the deceased arrived at the scene with dangerous weapons to confront the officers.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident. Punch