The Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Customs and Excise has expressed sympathy with the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, over injuries and deaths inflicted on them over the years by smugglers in the cause of carrying out their statutory responsibilities.
The Senate committee, led by its Chairman, Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi on investigations following petitions before the Senate on the alleged rift between Customs operatives and residents of border communities, visited the unit on Wednesday, 23rd August 2023 in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The committee urged officers to engage in constructive interactions and sensitisation with the communities to ensure peaceful co-existence.
The chairman charged the officers to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement and Standard of Operating Procedure (SOP), as well as caution on using weapons.
“With what is happening, we will go and tell the leadership your plight, your fight, and the way forward”, he added.
While giving his report, the Ag. Comptroller, DC Hussein Ejibunu noted that 3 Officers were killed in 2021 by smugglers, while 11 officers were injured.
According to him, officers under his supervision had always been less forceful in carrying out their anti-smuggling tasks.
“Officers under my supervision always use minimal force during seizure operations to avoid casualties”, he said.
“Since I got posted to this unit, there has been zero case of accidental discharge and right now, the group of officers we have, we are putting them through the rudiments of arms handling”, Ejibunu noted.
On sensitisation of the border community, DC Ejibunu said, “Upon my coming in 2021, I visited all the traditional rulers, I visited all the border communities, I embarked on sensitisation, we recruited some youths that give us Intel, and occasionally, we reward them within our confines.”
“We have also employed the service of some media houses for programmes that help to enlighten residents of border communities that we are not their enemy. So far, we have experienced significant success with our border community relations,” Ejibunu added.
