The Nigeria Police Force in Osun State has arrested two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) following a shooting incident that reportedly led to the death of a driver in Osogbo.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi.
According to the statement, the two Customs officers were taken into custody after a shooting incident that occurred in the Dada Estate area of the state capital.
Preliminary information indicated that the officers were pursuing suspected smuggled vehicles, popularly referred to as “tokunbo” (foreign-used) cars, when the incident occurred.
During the pursuit, a driver of one of the vehicles involved was reportedly shot. The victim, who was driving an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla, was later confirmed dead by a medical doctor at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.
Police authorities said the identity of the deceased driver had not yet been confirmed at the time of the report. The body has since been deposited in a morgue pending further investigation and identification.
Ojelabi also disclosed that several items were recovered from the scene of the incident by investigators. Among the items retrieved were a Beretta pistol with breech number 125024, eleven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, and one expanded 9mm shell.
Security operatives also recovered two vehicles linked to the incident. These included a white Toyota Corolla with Lagos registration number AAA 400 GQ and the ash-coloured Toyota Corolla with registration number GFQ 0982, which was reportedly being driven by the deceased.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Gotan, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fatal shooting.
According to the police command, the investigation will focus on establishing the sequence of events during the pursuit and determining whether the use of force by the Customs officers followed established operational procedures.
The police assured members of the public that anyone found responsible for wrongdoing in connection with the incident would face the full weight of the law.
Residents of the state were also urged to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing useful information that could assist ongoing investigations into the case.
