…It is resolved – Attah***
A minor altercation between two Air force men and some Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service at Gbaji checkpoint, in Badagry near Lagos, resulted Thursday in the air officers sustaining injuries.
An eye-witness indicated in Badagry on Friday that the incident happened when the two air force men, travelling in a Toyota Camry car were stopped for routine checks by the Customs men.
“One of the air force men told the Customs officials that there was nothing in the car but the customs men insisted on checking their vehicle.
“A struggle ensued during which the air force men tried to disarm the Customs men.
“However, one of the air force men was hit in the head while the other sustained injuries on his left arm,” the source said.
Maritime First was told that once the incident snowballed into injuries, all the Customs men and other agencies swiftly abandoned the checkpoint for the fear of reprisal attacks by air force men.
The injured men who were later identified as Cpl. Waziri and Cpl. Chidi Onyecheke were taken in an air force ambulance to the Mother and Child Hospital, Nigeria Air Force Forward Operations Base at Ahanve, Badagry for medical attention.
When contacted, the Customs image maker and National Spokesman, Joseph Attah confirmed it, saying that the Customs Service was going to investigate the development to ascertain possible areas of high handedness on the side of the customs officers.
He emphasised the ongoing wonderful cordial relationship between the Customs and every other Government agencies, particularly the entire military, stressing that the altercation was already contained.
He also said that the Service would further meet with the air force authorities to perfectly resolve the matter.
Men of the Customs Service however, returned to the checkpoint early on Friday.
The Lagos-Badagry highway is notorious for multiple checkpoints mounted on the road by various security agencies in their bid to extort money from road users.
Efforts by the Federal Government over the years to dismantle the numerous checkpoints on the road have consistently failed to yield any meaningful results.
