Customs PRO Attah says it is frustrating when enforcers of the law die in active service and not much is said about them.
By Uzor Odigbo
Spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Joseph Attah, has decried what he called the conspiracy of silence by some members of the public over the recent killing of customs officers by persons perceived to be sympathetic to smugglers.
In a social media post on Friday, Attah said the same vocal voices that were very critical of the service over alleged inflicting of injuries and purported killings in the past have gone mute now that customs officers were murdered.
He urged Nigerians to rise against smuggling while reassuring that Customs will not relent in stopping Importation or exportation of any item that undermines national economy and security.
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The Customs PRO said: “There appears to be a conspiracy of silence concerning the deaths of Customs anti-smuggling operatives.
In no distant past, we heard loud voices criticising NCS about injuries and purported killings of some Nigerians in clear cases of violence against Officers performing their legitimate duties.
“Those voices seem no longer loud in condemning the murder of Customs Officers. The service within October lost 3 operatives with many sustaining serious injuries. Premised on trump up charges of ”invasion and burning of houses at a village” some supposedly responsible individuals are going to town with write-ups that sweeps officers deaths under the carpet while dwelling on an allegation that has been debunked by the NCS with verifiable evidence.
“Nigerians must rise against smugglers’ increasing tendency to resort to violence to pull through their criminal acts. Those who support criminality by either physically attacking Officers or pushing narratives that strengthen smugglers are enemies of the state and should be seen as such, no matter their claim of “defending fellow Citizens”
“We refuse to be intimidated by these merchants of violence. We remain focused on the job of ensuring that NOTHING that is capable of compromising National security and economy is allowed entry or exit. NCS, therefore, urges well-meaning Nigerians not to be distracted by this selective “concern” for human life and continue to support the Service to serve the country better,” he said
In the last two months, three officers of the Federal Operations Unit Zone A’ were killed in two separate anti-smuggling operations in Ogun State.
The attacks on customs officers have also left many of them injured with various degrees of wounds.