Customs refute killing of man for N5,000 bribe

Nigerian Customs Service has refuted the alleged killing of a Nigerian  businessman for his refusal to give the custom men N5000 bribe.
In a statement made through the National Spokesperson , Joseph Attah, customs debunked killing a businessman for N5000 bribe.
He emphasised that the preliminary finding indicates that it was during the skirmishes and struggle to disarm the officer that the riffle discharged and hit the friend of the customs (Godwin) who lost his life, adding that the service is 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 vehicle and left, leaving the wrong impression that it was one of them that was killed.
“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.
“While the wounded officer is under intensive care at the hospital, the patrol team has been recalled to the office for further investigation”, Deputy Comptroller Attah explained further.
It will be recalled that last week, an  officer of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) ASC1, Destiny Onebamho. was arrested for allegedly killing a Nigerian international businessman over refusal to give a bribe of N5,000 at Shagamu interchange, along Ijebu Ode- Lagos Expressway.
An eye witness said the victim who was freshly coming into Nigeria from overseas and boarded a vehicle had some personal effects which an officer showed interest in.
The deceased was subsequently asked to cough out N5,000 and depart in peace with the personal items
It was further learnt he had wanted to oblige by offering the bribe, but for the intervention of another person, who maintained that with the war on corruption being relentlessly waged by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the deceased should refuse, because customs officers had been tutored to ignore bribes.
The deceased therefore declined the demand to offer bribe, following which a hot argument was ignited.
A video showed one of the officers, having become disgusted by the victim’s boldness and refusal to give the bribe, cocked his gun and shot a fellow Nigerian, point blank.
Wailing in heart rendering tears, a sister of the deceased who wept herself into a wreck, wondered how her ‘brother’ could be felled in cold blood over his refusal to give bribe.