How customs officers battered me – Iloka

By SUNDAY ANI (nichsunny@yahoo.com)

The story of assault and battery on the defenceless civilians by both the military and Para-military men in Nigeria is no longer news. What baffles most Nigerians is that the issues that lead to suck attacks are always so infinitesimal; matters that ordinarily could not have even attracted a mere argument, let alone assault. 

The case of a middle-aged restaurant and bar operator on 202 roads, Festac town, Lagos, Mr CY Iloka, who narrowly escaped death in the hands of some customs officers, has again increased the tally. The Abatete in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State-born Iloka bears a bold bandage on his forehead. Beneath the bold bandage, according to him, are two deep cuts. He sustained the cuts when some power-hungry customs officers from the Festac Command of the Nigerian Customs went berserk, threw decorum to the wind and descended heavily on him. But he is still thankful to God for sparing his life by giving him the strength to escape when it was evident to him that the mission was to leave him permanently disabled thereafter.

How it happened

Tracing the genesis of what led to the attack, Iloka said: “On Sunday June 23, at 9:30, I was attending to some customers when one customs officer, Joel Yahaya came and requested for a bottle of beer. He was served accordingly. As he was drinking the beer, he called me and complained bitterly about one Mr Ezenwa, who is also one of my regular customers. He told me he was going to deal ruthlessly with him.  I think the problem between them started at 32 Road before Joel came to my shop. I don’t even know the problem he had with Ezenwa and I didn’t even bother to ask him but I tried to placate him. I told him that he shouldn’t deal with him since both of them were friends. I told him that he would regret whatever he did to Ezenwa thereafter and tried to prevail on him to rescind his decision. Other people intervened and pleaded with him not to deal with Ezenwa. I remember a lady who tried to talk to him to let go whatever disagreement he had with Ezenwa but he rebuffed her and shouted at other people who made similar move.”

Turn of event

As the begging game was still ongoing, according to Iloka, Mr Yahaya allegedly called his office on 21road, Festac and asked his colleagues to come to his shop.

He said: “There and then, he called the Customs Area Command Office at Festac where he serves and asked some of his friends to come to my shop with a Toyota Hillux Van fully loaded. At that point, I told him that what he was about to do was illegal and that if he and his colleagues brutalized Ezenwa in my shop, I would stand by Ezenwa till he got justice. Meanwhile there was one Chimezie Obosi who understands Hausa language very well, so we asked him to plead with Yahaya in Hausa language to suspend his intended action. But instead, Chimezie fuelled the crisis by telling him a different thing. He told him that I said he could not do anything. Meanwhile, as all these drama were unfolding, Ezenwa had still not come to my shop.”

On why Yahaya was mobilizing his colleagues to his shop even when Ezenwa was not there, he said: “I don’t know really; maybe he wanted to show us power. I don’t know his reason but that was what he did. But I also think he did it with the intention that Ezenwa would soon come because he lives opposite my shop and he comes here always, especially on Sundays.”

Yahaya was alleged to have stormed out of Iloka’s shop in anger and returned five minutes later with his friends to give Iloka the beating of his life.

On Yahaya’s next move, he said: “After Obosi had told him what I didn’t say and urged him to bring his men without further delay, he stood up and left without even paying for the bottle of beer he was drinking. Meanwhile he still owed me N900 which he agreed to pay at the end of June after he had received his salary. Five minutes later, a Hillux Van arrived, fully loaded and stopped at the point where I was seated with my customers. Yahaya just jumped down and pointed at me and they descended heavily on me with boots, head of their guns and belts. It was like a dream; they were about eight. They ordered me to enter their vehicle but I refused. I fell down as the beating became more intense but when I realised that they could even kill me, I managed to stand up and I ran as much as I could into the back of my shop where I locked myself up. They followed me but it was late; I had escaped. They came and banged and kicked at the door ordering me to open it but I couldn’t even stand up let alone opening the door; blood was gushing from my forehead like a river because I had two deep cuts there.”

Visit to police station

Iloka alleged that when Yahaya and his colleagues could not break into the kitchen where he had taken refuge, they left. At that point, he said: “I managed to go to the Festac Police Division to lodge a complaint. I was given two unarmed policemen to go and make arrest but when we got there, they had gone. We were just searching to see if we could even see Obosi when he re-emerged with about five armed customs men again, probably to complete what they started. When he saw the policemen, he threatened to deal with even in their presence, for having the audacity to invite the police into the matter. The policemen told him that he was needed at the station but he told them bluntly that nobody could arrest him because he was a customs officer. When the policemen saw that any attempt to apply force would lead to a serious fight, they called for reinforcement since they were only two and without arms but before the reinforcement could arrive, the man and his colleagues had left. So, the police reinforcement drove straight to the customs office but they locked the entrance gate and told the policemen to go away, accusing them of trespass. As the policemen were trying to see if they could gain access into the place to make arrest, I fainted because I had lost so much blood. They took me into their van, drove to the station and drafted a medical report before I was rushed to Isolo General Hospital for treatment. I slept at the hospital because after attending to me, it was almost 4am; I had two stitches on my head. The following day, June 24, I went back to the station to write my statement. The next morning, he was invited to report at the police station to give his own statement, but he did not go to there until Tuesday July 2. When the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) asked him what I did that made him to brutalise me with his colleagues, he said I insulted him. The DPO was angry at him and ordered that he be detained until he produced those customs officers that he called to brutalise me. He was also asked to produce the Hillux Van in which his colleagues came to attack me.”    

IPO reacts

                     

When the Investigating Police Office, one Ifeanyi was contacted on phone, he confirmed the incident but said that Yahaya had been released. He said: “We have released him to his boss after two days in detention. So, if you want to see him, you can go to his office at 21 Road, Festac.”

Customs reacts

When our reporter visited the office of the Festac Customs Command, the officer in charge of administration, Mr Sani A.J told him that the victim, Mr Iloka had not reported the case to the command. He also admitted that it was the Festac Division of the Nigeria Police that reported the matter to him and assured that the matter was being handled.

He said: “The victim, Mr Iloka has not reported the matter to us here. If he had done that, we would have paraded our men for identification but since he has not done that I don’t even know him. It was the police that reported a matter like that to us and we are handling it here. So, I don’t have much to say on this matter. I can only say that Mr Iloka and the police are in a better position to comment on it since Mr Iloka has not officially reported to us.”