The Ogun Area 1 command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has registered its deep heartfelt condolences to the family, school and friends of a twenty years old student of Ojumo Community Secondary School, Opeyemi Odusinan who lost his life on Monday having been hit by smuggled vehicle intercepted and driven by the anti-smuggling patrol team of the command.
In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, for the Customs Area Command on Tuesday, the command regretted the death of the young and promising child under the unfortunate circumstances.
While commiserating with the family of the deceased in this trying moment, it prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“The Command is also working assiduously to carter for the injured and to cushion the effect of this unintentional tragedy”, it said.
Narrating the circumstances that led to the death of the young chap, the statement observed that “On Monday, 07th October, 2019 at about 1330Hours, Officers of Nigeria Customs Service Ogun Command on routine patrol arrested a vehicle (Mercedes Benz ML) suspected to have been smuggled into Nigeria.
“In the process of conveying the said vehicle driven by an Officer of the Service fully escorted by official patrol vehicle, an okada man conveying a passenger crossed their path. In a swift response by the driver to avoid collusion with the said okada rider, he lost control and rammed into some group of people coincidently on a market day of Ihumbo Community.
“Unfortunately one of the victims, a twenty years old student of Ojumo Community Secondary School by name Opeyemi Odusinan instantly died and three people sustained various degrees of injuries. As at the time of filling this report, two of the injured have been discharged with only one, Sunday Adeniyi (Adult male Nigerian) receiving treatment at General Hospital Idiroko.”
It however condemned “some mischief makers who hijacked the situation and attacked Customs vehicles within sight in a community known for upholding peace and rule of law”, adding that normalcy had since been returned with the intervention of Police, Military personnel and other sister security agencies.
“Finally, we wish to reiterate our sincere sympathy as this is purely an accident and not the narrative of stray bullets or pursue as insinuated by some citizen journalists and a section of the traditional media”, the statement added.
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