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A disturbing video has surfaced showing some members of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Army assaulting two civilians in the Oloko area of Badagry, Lagos State. The incident reportedly took place after the victims attempted to film activities in a known smuggling hotspot.
The footage, obtained by SaharaReporters, shows the two men being brutally beaten by a customs officer and a soldier. The customs officer accused one of the victims of exposing the smugglers’ operations.
The customs officer was heard questioning one of the victims, saying, “Why are you making this video? Your boss, Tunde, is helping you; is he doing you wrong? How much has Tunde given you from this Badagry operation? If you’re not in good terms with him, why do you need to make this video?”
In the video, the customs officer, speaking in Hausa, orders the soldier to continue the beating, saying, “If you don’t tell me the truth, you’ll suffer.”
The victim can be heard crying out in pain as they were repeatedly struck. The customs officer also claimed, “You’ll regret doing this. I was the one who helped Tunde go to South Africa. Go ask him, he’ll confirm that it was me.”
The second victim was also severely beaten, with both men enduring significant abuse.
Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the actions of the officers, urging the Nigerian Customs Service to reflect on the lessons of the #EndSARS protests.
Good morning, @customsNG.
— 'Fisayo Soyombo (@fisayosoyombo) December 3, 2024
In the videos below, one of your men simply known as ‘Aboribo Custom’ can be seen on the left side of the screen brutalising two civilians for attemptiing to record videos in a smugglling zone in Oloko, Badagry.
What secrets exactly are you hiding… pic.twitter.com/Rcj8k7tVyC
“Good morning, @customsNG. In the video, one of your officers, known as ‘Aboribo Custom,’ is seen assaulting two civilians for attempting to record a video in a smuggling zone in Oloko, Badagry,” Soyombo posted.
He continued, “What exactly are you trying to hide at Customs checkpoints to justify assaulting two men like this? Learn from the #EndSARS movement and stop provoking the people.”
