Katsina Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, yesterday, accused officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) of recklessness and lack of requisite intelligence to halt arms smugglers across the country’s border with Niger Republic.
The governor spoke against the backdrop of the killing of 10 residents of Jibia, a border town between Katsina and Niger Republic, by Customs officials chasing alleged rice smugglers in their vehicle.
Authorities at the NCS had set up a committee to probe the incident and they were at the Government House, yesterday, to present a letter of condolence to the government and people of Katsina State on the tragedy.
A furious Masari who received the team, however, flayed the constant harassment, intimidation and killing of innocent citizens living in border towns by Customs officials. He queried the rationale for allowing arms and contraband smugglers slip through their watch at border ports only to chase them into densly populated communities which often resulted in deaths of innocent and law abiding citizens caught in cross fire between Customs and smugglers.
