By Adaku Walter
The House of Representatives has mandated the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to pay N390million compensation for the extrajudicial killings of persons suspected to be smugglers in Oyo State.
The House gave this decision based on the recommendations in the reports by the House Committee on Customs and Excise after investigating two incidents in Oyo State and one incident in Katsina State.
Chairman of the Committee, Leke Abejide, had last week laid the reports, which the House considered and adopted in plenary on Tuesday.
The committee had investigated the unrest in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State due to the killing of indigenes by men of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The House upheld the committee’s recommendation that life has no duplicate and cannot be replaced once lost, and as such the NCS should pay the families of the deceased N20 million for each soul lost at the Iseyin incidence and N2 million for those that sustained injuries.
The House said, while the number of souls lost is four; the value of total compensation for the deceased is N80, 000,000 only.
The recommendation further read, “For the person who sustained a gunshot injury in the Iseyin incident, the sum of N2 million only be paid as compensation for the treatment of the injuries sustained.
“The grand total for compensation for both the deceased and the injured is the sum of N82 million only.
“The officers involved in the acts of killings of innocent Nigerians should be brought to book, prosecuted and punished accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others,” the Committee said.
The committee, on the murder of innocent people in Jibia, Katsina State, by men of the NCS on August 9, 2021, recommended that each soul lost at Jibia LGA incident should be compensated with the sum of N20 million each.
The Committee said while the number of souls lost is 10 people; the value of total compensation for the deceased is N200 million only.
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The committee further recommended that the 13 persons who sustained a gunshot injury in the Jibia incident should be paid the sum of N2 million each as compensation by the Nigeria Customs Service for the treatment of the injuries sustained.
“The value of total compensation is N26 million only. The grand total payable by the Nigeria Customs Service as compensation for both the deceased and the injured should be the sum of N226 million only.” the committee said.
Similarly, the committee investigated “the brutal murder at Igangan, Igboora, Ayete, Tapa in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State by men the Nigerian Customs Services.”
Consequently, the panel recommended that each soul lost at the Iseyin incident be compensated by the NCS with the sum of N20 million “The number of souls lost being four; the value of total compensation for the four deceased is N80,000,000 only,” it added.
The recommendation partly read, “For the person who sustained a gunshot injury in the Iseyin incident, the sum of N2 million only be paid as compensation for the treatment of the injuries sustained.
“The grand total of compensation for both the deceased and the injured is the sum of N82 million only.
“The officers involved in the acts of killings of innocent Nigerians should be brought to book, prosecuted and punished accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.”
The committee further recommended that provision should be made for procurement of ballistic vehicles (bulletproof), bulletproof vests and helmets urgently for Nigeria Customs Service to confront the daredevil smugglers attacking their officers at Border Stations whenever the smugglers opened fire on them.
This, the committee said, would encourage Nigeria Customs Service to be able to curtail smuggling with fewer casualties on their side
“That as constant conflict with communities is counterproductive and unsustainable, the Nigeria Customs Service should aggressively deepen its engagement with traditional rulers, community stakeholders, host communities, relevant trade associations, local police networks and local security outfits to prevent future loss of lives and property on all sides,” the committee added.
