By Lawal Gwanda
The Senate has condemned the indiscriminate shootings of July 2023 by personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS in Katsina State.
It similarly charged the Service to investigate the incident that led its operatives to open fire on unarmed citizens and fish out the airing officers.
Similarly, the Senate urged the NCS to improve on the training of its personnel in handling fire arms.
The three prayers were adopted by the Senate on Wednesday following a motion filed by Senator Abdul’Aziz Musa Yar’adua representing Katsina Central on the urgent need to investigate the abuse of fire arms by officers of the NCS in Katsina State.
Senator Abdul’Aziz Yar’adua admitted that the NCS personnel were authorised to carry fire arms in the course of there dutities aimed at assisting the service to counter smugglers who usually became embolden in their attack on them.
The Senator bacame worrisome that some officers,of the Service who should be civil and professionals in their engagements and handling of fire arms have had a series of shootings on innocent citizens.
He cited example on several incidences that led to killings and injuring of innocent citizens in Jibia LGA of Katsina State, attack on the convoy of former Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, narrow escape of the Chief of Staff to the Katsina State Governor from the harrowing assult of Customs official at a location near Gorar Yammama Highway in Malumfashi LGA.
Senator Yar’adua recalled that on 14th August 2021, the former Governor of Katsina State Rt Hon Aminu Bello Masari threaten to sue the NCS over the killings of innocent residents adding that on the 3rd July 2022 the House of Reps ordered NCS to pay N390M as compensation to families of ten victims that were killed and 13 others injured in Jibia LGA of Katsina State.
He therefore said the inability to checkmate the personnel of the NCS might lead to repraisal attack by angered civilians.
After unanimous seconding of the motion, the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio who presided over approved the adoption of the three prayers by agreeing to set up an Investigation Committee on the matter.
