The Nigeria Customs Service has refuted any involvement in the death of a teenager at the Jibia Border Area of Katsina State on Saturday.
This was revealed in a statement released on Monday by the service’s National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.
Nonetheless, he offered the deceased’s family the sincerest sympathies of the service.
The youngster was killed on Saturday in Jibia, according to the locals, by a commercial vehicle driver who thought he was being pursued by customs authorities. One resident claimed that the van’s driver was nervous when he reported the officers.
According to the locals, the youngster was killed when the driver of the J5 Peugeot van struck bystanders at Tundun Wada Primary School in Jibia.
Several locals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, asserted that the tragedy occurred because customs officers were present in the vicinity.
In response, though, Maiwada stated that it’s critical that the service corrects the record of what transpired.
“Our attention has been drawn to the devastating loss of a young life in the Jibia Border Area of Katsina State on Saturday, February 3, 2024. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the innocent teenager whose life was tragically cut short,”
The NCS spokesperson said that no officer drove the ill-fated car on the said date.
“It is pertinent to address the misinformation circulating in the media regarding the reported killing of the teenager by a reckless driver of a J5 vehicle. The Federal Operations Unit Zone B, headquartered in Kaduna, covers 10 states plus the FCT, including Katsina, where the Jibia border is situated,” he said.
According to him, “We wish to clarify that our operatives neither drove the J5 vehicle nor intercepted it during the reported incident, contrary to some press allegations of the involvement of our officers. Preliminary reports revealed that the J5 vehicle was transporting soya beans, and the driver is currently in police custody pending further investigation,”
Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, reaffirmed in the statement his unshakable commitment to promoting cordial community relations and carrying out successful counter-smuggling operations without causing casualties.
In order to preserve the nation’s peace and security, Adeniyi also exhorts the populace to follow government orders and work with law enforcement.
the ongoing cooperation extended by the border communities as we work together to address challenges and promote safety and prosperity for all,” Adeniyi concluded.