The Ogun command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Tuesday reacted to Monday’s accident, involving operatives of the service and some residents of Ihunbo community in Ipokia local government area of the state, leading to the death of a student.
Three secondary school students were reportedly knocked down by a confiscated vehicle driven by officers of the NCS and one of the students, Opeyemi Odusinan, 20, immediately died while others were taken to the hospital.
The officer, who was driving one of the confiscated vehicles was said to have lost control of the wheels and crashed into students of Ojumo Community High School, Ihunbo, who were standing by the road side, at the close of school hour.
But reacting to the incident Tuesday, the command’s spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, said, the driver of the vehicle had swerved to avoid hitting a motorcyclist on the road when he rammed into the students.
Maiwada said, “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.
“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”, Maiwada said.
Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun has vowed that his administration would investigate the accident leading to the death of the student.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, said “We respect the sanctity of human lives in Ogun state and government exists to provide security and welfare for the people. No matter the circumstances, we found this condemnable. We would not fold our arms and watch our future leaders killed in that manner”.
The statement added that while the governor was shocked at the sad news of the death of the three students of Ojumo Community High School, Ihunbo in Ipokia local government area of the state, he warned security men, chasing suspected smugglers or hoodlums to be wary of the rights of citizens in all circumstances.
