Protocols.
As Nigeria is still basking in the euphoria of the 16th year of the return to democratic rule, we congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and all Nigerians across the globe for the success stories and challenges of our democracy. We believe all our people at the helm of affairs and the governed will collectively work towards the meaningful development of the Fatherland and the actualisation of the dividends of democratic administration.
We also want to seize this opportunity to congratulate and express our profound gratitude to the Governor of Ogun State, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the Speaker and the other honourable members of the state’s House of Assembly for the recent creation of additional 37 local council development areas to the existing 20 local governments in the state. The latest effort by the state government is part of the noble contributions of the Amosun Administration towards the meaningful development of all the constituents of the state, as it brings the people closer to the government. We, the people of Oke-Odan are more elated by this wonderful gesture, as the over two-century town is privileged to take its rightful place as the headquarters of the Yewa South East Local Council in the new arrangement. It is our hope that the new LCDA will assist the area, traditionally known for farming, in rediscovering its potential and propel outstanding growth in all facets of life, particularly in employment generation for our teeming youths and infrastructural development, among others.
While the present administration is making frantic efforts in developing all sectors of the national economy and promoting peaceful co-existence among the people, it is saddening that one of its agents is presently engaged in retrogressive tendencies.
It is with heavy heart that we want to inform you at this juncture that the serenity and happiness of Oke-Odan and its environs are being threatened by the invasion of the town by men and officers of the Nigerian Customs and Excise. Our hitherto peaceful town is seriously in a state of siege!
Most residents of Oke-Odan now live in palpable fear of possible attack by Customs officials, who often invade all the nooks and crannies of our town in their activities seemingly aimed at curbing the illegal operations of smugglers. The smugglers, who are in no way agents or endorsed by Oke-Odan, operate from Idiroko, the border town between Nigeria and Cotonou. Oke-Odan is about 10 kilometres from Idiroko. The smugglers have created many illegal routes, using many villages and towns between Idiroko and Sango Ota, Ogun State to further their activities.
The unfortunate thing we decry here is that innocent indigenes of Oke-Odan are the ones always at the receiving end anytime the officials of the NCE engage smugglers in fierce battle. The Customs officials, without any sense of caution, sporadically enter our town and engage in indiscriminate shooting of whoever that is in sight. No fewer than 15 people have died and/or suffered serious injuries from the unwholesome act in the recent past. For instance, on May 1, 2016, two promising artisans, Odude Amos Adeleke, a panel beater; and Azeez Yekini, a motorcycle mechanic, were killed when some Customs officials launched an attack on the town. Some other people, including Segun Otukadejo, a secondary school leaver; Samson Daniel, a farmer; and three members of the same family, Mrs. Janet Odunlami (mother) and her two children Abiodun and Israel, sustained various degrees of injuries from stray bullet as the invading Customs officials indiscriminately shot at the residents.
Invariably, many of our youths and prospective investors, who had earlier expressed interest in farming in Customs officials are also laying siege to our farms, making it absolutely difficult for most of our people, who are farmers and of long standing, to even go to their farms. We have on good record instances when some Customs officers waylaid our farmers, mostly elders, on or from their farms, advertently taking them as smugglers to possibly demonstrate their seeming efficiency before their superior officers. Many of the affected farmers have landed in hospitals at different occasions, and expectedly are indifferent to farming following their ugly experiences in the hands of the paramilitary officers.
Invariably, many of our youths and prospective investors, who had earlier expressed interest in farming in our area, as the Federal and state governments are encouraging the diversification of the economy, are now disillusioned as a result of the state of insecurity of Oke-Odan and its environs following the menace of the smugglers and some NCE officials.
We are very disturbed by our present state. Our leaders and elders, including the Oloke-Odan of Oke-Odan, Oba Olurotimi Fagbenro, and other illustrious sons and daughters of Yewaland, have severally engaged all the concerned parties in dialogue to end the unwarranted attacks and killings of innocent people to no avail.
Although we are not, in any way averse to measures that will safeguard our national economy, we strongly believe that the invasion of our town by Customs officers is appalling and unacceptable. And if these raids are not promptly checked, it may eventually lead to carnage, a replica of the recent Enugu killings. Oke-Odan and of course, Yewa people, in general are law-abiding citizens. We will not take the laws into our hands or do anything unconstitutional. But as we live and go about daily legal activities, we crave for our safety and security.
While we will not harbour any illegal operator in our domain or condone any illicit affairs, which are at the detriment of the nation’s economy, we want to passionately plead with the Comptroller-General of the NCE to call his men to order. We also want appeal to the Federal Government, our state government and other concerned parties and authorities to urgently do everything humanly possible to redress the anomalies in the operations of the Customs officials as they check smugglers
and their excesses. All we are after and yearning for are in the interest of peaceful co-existence and national development.
We sincerely appreciate you all for the support for this just cause. May God bless you all.
. Being a statement by Concerned Yewa Youth Foundation of Ogun State on the invasion of Oke-Odan by men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. The statement was signed by the Foundation’s Chairman and Secretary, Akin Olukunle and ‘Niyi Saanu.
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