Oyo residents express displeasure over invasion of markets by Customs, urge govt. to intervene

Residents of Oyo state, Southwest Nigeria, have expressed their displeasure over the incessant raid of some popular markets in Ibadan, the state capital by men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

They urged the government to intervene before people take to self-defense.

While condemning the act, the residents also described the character of the NCS towards the invasion of markets and burgling of shops as dictatorial tendencies and wickedness.

Speaking separately, an Ibadan resident who pleaded anonymity described the actions of men of the NCS who carried out the alleged dastardly operations as wicked and merciless which care not for the living and survival of the victims whose bags of rice and other valuable goods were carted away by the officers.

Anonymous respondent however hailed Senator Muhammed Kola Balogun, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly for speaking the truth and standing for the victims against alleged injustice and wickedness being perpetrated by men of the NCS.

Also commenting , Samson Adewale criticized the way and manner in which the markets in Ibadan were invaded by the NCS  and carted away the traders’ goods which serves as their means of livelihood and survival.

Adewale stressed that it was disheartening and painful that the men of the NCS had invaded Ibadan markets for three consecutive times, while bags of rice and other valuables worth millions of naira were carted away by them.

He faulted them for concentrating on Ibadan traders who spent millions of naira to have their  goods bought from their respective sources and route.

“Where were the men of NCS before the bags of rice escaped from borders?”, Adewale questioned.

In a related development, Jamiu Soliu also expressed outrage at the seemingly loud silence of both the federal and the state governments. Governor Seyi Makinde was further alleged of failure and reluctance to speak in respect of markets and traders’ shops which were burgled by men of the NCS.

Soliu added that the governments’ silence on current condition of traders whose shops were burgled and carted away their goods justifies that governments do not care for the masses they were elected to protect.

He called on all government functionaries to do the needful by calling men of the NCS to order, so as to avoid inflicting suffering and hardship on the traders and the masses.

He noted that calling them to order will prevent people from taking to self-defense and outbreak of envisaging war.