The Nigerian Senate had on Wednesday, July 19, endorsed a resolution to probe the purported abuse of firearms by the Nigeria Customs Service personnel.
The resolution had been the aftermath of a motion, sponsored by the senator representing Katsina Central senatorial district, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, condemning the reported killing of citizens in Kastina State by ammunition-bearing Customs officers.
YarAdua, had in a motion captioned “Urgent Need to Investigate the Abuse of Firearms by Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, in Katsina State,” alleged that there were interminable cases of killings in the state. YarAdua had also gone further to lament that the situation was unacceptable, stating that there should be a comprehensive training of officers in the use of firearms.
Customs officers are usually allowed to bear fire arms, to successfully counter the activities of smugglers, who have as of recent, become daring in their attacks on customs personnel using sophisticated weapons.
In regards to this, NCS personnel were expected to be civil in their behaviour towards Nigerians, but unfortunately, these personnel had allegedly resorted to killings.
YarAdua had also remarked that the immediate past governor of Katsina State had issued threats of suing the NCS over the incessant killings in the state.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had meanwhile, constituted a committee to be chaired by Senator Francis Fadahunsi.
In his remark, Akpabio had stated that the Senate ought to investigate the issue holistically, as killing of innocent citizens was not acceptable.
