Transporters Brutally Assaulted by Customs Officers and Soldiers on Badagry-Seme Expressway
Two transporters, Taofeek Olatunbosun and Rafiu Abdelmalik, endured severe assaults at the hands of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officers and soldiers at a checkpoint on the Badagry-Seme Expressway on Sunday, December 1, 2024. The incident occurred after the duo was accused of recording videos suspected to expose alleged smuggling activities in the area.
How the Incident Unfolded
Recounting the ordeal, Olatunbosun explained that the trouble began when he and his assistant, Abdelmalik, stopped at a fuel station to refuel their vehicle. While trying to send a location update to a customer, Abdelmalik recorded a video of their surroundings to provide better context. This action, however, caught the attention of nearby officers who accused them of filming for investigative journalists.
“We were on our way to Apa when we stopped at a fuel station to refuel. My customer kept asking for my exact location, so I asked my assistant to record a video of our surroundings to send to him,” Olatunbosun explained. “Suddenly, someone approached my assistant and tried to grab his phone. This attracted the attention of security operatives at the checkpoint, who accused us of recording videos for journalists exposing smuggling activities.”
The officers forcefully detained the men and moved them to a nearby location, where they summoned their team leader, Officer Adamu Zakari, a soldier. Despite recognizing Olatunbosun as someone familiar to his family, Zakari reportedly dismissed their explanations and escalated the situation with chilling threats.
“When he arrived, he recognized me and mentioned knowing my brother, threatening to kill him the next time he saw him,” Olatunbosun revealed. “He then asked the officers why they hadn’t already killed us and dumped our bodies in the water. That was when the brutal beating started.”
Accounts of Torture and Abuse
Abdelmalik also shared his harrowing experience, noting that officers and suspected smugglers collaborated in the assault. He recalled being slapped, beaten, and accused of planning to share the video footage with journalists investigating smuggling along the route.
“I was just following my boss’s instructions. One of the smugglers working with the security operatives slapped me and tried to seize my phone,” Abdelmalik said. “They dragged us to a secluded area near the checkpoint, where the officers tortured us, demanding we reveal which journalists we were planning to send the video to. If the residents hadn’t called the police, they would have killed us.”
The victims were eventually rescued when concerned residents alerted the police, who intervened and halted the abuse.
Context and Background
The incident comes against the backdrop of recent investigative reports by journalist Fisayo Soyombo, which exposed alleged collusion between Customs officers and smugglers along the Lagos-Badagry corridor. Soyombo’s reports detailed unchecked transportation of contraband goods, including rice, poultry, and other banned items, facilitated by corruption and lax enforcement at Customs checkpoints.
Official Response
Reacting to the assault, Abdullahi Hossein, the Public Relations Officer for Seme Border Customs, expressed deep regret over the actions of the officers involved. In a statement, he confirmed that the implicated officers would be removed from their posts immediately and assured the public of accountability.
“What they did does not reflect the values of our organization, and we take full responsibility for their actions,” Hossein said. He also encouraged the victims to come forward and cooperate with investigations into the incident.
Regarding the alleged involvement of military personnel, Hossein added, “Due to the volatile nature of some patrols, we have military personnel attached to us. I’m not sure if military officers were involved in this incident, but we take responsibility and urge the victims to reach out to us.”
Public Outrage and Calls for Reform
The assault has sparked outrage among Nigerians, many of whom are demanding reforms within the Customs Service and greater oversight of checkpoint activities. The incident also highlights the growing tension between citizens and security operatives, with frequent reports of abuse of power and complicity in illegal activities.
As investigations continue, the public awaits concrete steps from the Nigerian Customs Service to address the actions of the officers involved and to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
