Customs/smugglers clash: Injured student dies, buried

A17-year-old pupil of Muslim High School, Ilara, Isiaka Ganiyu, who was injured when soldiers and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officials clashed with suspected smugglers at Ilara, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State last weekend, has died.

This brought the number of deaths recorded during the early morning clash, which occurred on Saturday, to three.

Ganiyu, a Senior Secondary II student of the school, was hit by bullets during the encounter and was immediately rushed to a hospital near the Nigeria/ Republic of Benin border. But he died on Tuesday evening and had been buried on Wednesday.

Following Ganiyu’s death, the Ogun State House of Assembly has cautioned NCS operatives to be more civil in apprehending smugglers in border towns in the state in order to avoid killing innocent citizens.

The House Speaker, Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, made the appeal yesterday while responding to the submission of a member representing the Imeko/Afon constituency, Jemili Akingbade, who spoke under personal explanation during the plenary Assembly complex, Abeokuta.

Adekunbi stated that the state government had waded into the matter to prevent a reoccurrence, saying there was need for Customs officials to always exercise restraint in the use of firearms to prevent avoidable deaths. at the OkeMosan,