Auto dealers protest alleged killing of colleague by Customs men
Hell was let loose over the weekend when members of the Motor Dealers Association (MDA), Oyo
State chapter, stormed the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) office in Ibadan to protest the alleged
killing of one of their colleagues by some Customs officers.
The deceased auto dealer, identified as Tunde Abdul, 32, was reportedly knocked down by a truck
around 4:30am on Saturday at Alapako on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway when he was stopped by
some Customs officers led by one Kunle Yinusa.
It was gathered that a DAF truck with registration number Osun PRN-123 XA, had tried to avoid a
pothole on the road, but lost control and in the process hit the three cars that were cleared from
Lagos port by the late Abdul.
In protest, angry auto dealers blocked the road along Bodija-Secretariat axis where the Customs office
is located to demand probe of Abdul’s death, which they described as “unacceptable.”
The late Abdul, according to sources, is survived by a pregnant wife and a child.
Addressing journalists at the Customs office, Public Relations Officer of MDA, Pastor Vincent Ayodeji,
said harassment by Customs officers on their members along Lagos/Ibadan expressway has become
incessant, stressing that all the vehicles being transported from Lagos port to Ibadan were legally
cleared at the point of entry.
He said: “We heard this morning that some of our members while bringing two cars from Lagos were
stopped by Customs officers around Alapako at the border between Oyo and Ogun State around 4am.
So, they asked for the papers of the cars, which they were obliged. But the Custom officer asked them
for a bribe which they refused to give.
“They therefore insisted that the papers are not genuine and told them to wait till day break to be able
to confirm from their office. While waiting, a truck coming from the opposite direction of the road
crushed the vehicles.
“Unfortunately, one of our three members died, his name is Tunde Abdul. One other person was
injured and that is why we have come here to protest against the incessant harassment of our
members by men of the Custom officers.”
He called on the leadership of NCS to carry out a detailed investigation of the incident and bring the
erring officers to book.
Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer of Customs in the state, Njeoma Nkiru, proved abortive as
at the time of filling this report, as her phone numbers indicated she was not reachable.
Source: The Nation.

hmmm