Customs men looked away as smugglers battered me

Olomofe

“We will kill you today. When we kill you, other journalists will leave this place alone.” Four suspected smugglers yelled as they pummeled a journalist, Yomi Olomofe.

Not done, the hoodlums, after about 10 minutes of battering, took their victim to a refuse dump nearby, pummelled him some more, and left him for dead.

Olomofe was reportedly battered by the suspected smugglers on the premises of the Nigerian Customs Service office in Seme, Badagry, Lagos State. He was attacked at about 4pm last Thursday, June 25.

Olomofe had been invited to the NCS premises for an assignment. He explained that the suspected smugglers beat him up on the claim that he wrote against their activities in the Seme area.

Narrating his ordeal to PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, Olomofe, a director of a Badagry-based Prime Magazine, said the men of the NCS, Seme Area Command, looked away as the attackers battered him.

He added that his two eyes were swollen and closed after the beating.

Our correspondent gathered that the matter was reported to the Area K, Command, Morogbo, on Friday, while a petition was also submitted at the office of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, on Tuesday.

Olomofe, who was recuperating at a hospital in Ikeja, identified three of his attackers as Momoh, Shehu and Elijah.

He urged the CP and the Inspector General of Police to commence investigation on the incident, adding that smugglers had taken over the Seme border area.

He said, “The attack was around 4pm. There were four men who pounced on me while I was on the NCS, Seme Area Command premises. They were shouting on top of their voices, ‘We will kill you today. When we kill you today, other journalists will leave this place alone.’

“The most notorious of them is known as Alhaji Momoh, otherwise called Basket. The others are Elijah and Shehu. The fourth person is unknown. They came with cudgels. It was when they hit me on the head that I knew they intended to kill me.

“There were about 12 others. They carried me out of the place to a refuse dump. The hoodlums appeared to have some understanding with the customs officers. I want the police to ensure that justice is done on the matter.

“They clearly made an attempt to take my life in broad daylight without any provocation. I have no issue with them whatsoever.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said he would get back to our correspondent on the matter. He, however, had yet to do so as of press time.

The Public Relations Officer, NCS, Seme Area Command, Afiz Abiodun Ajao, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs, said the command was investigating the incident, and would come out with its findings soon.

He said, “The command learnt of the unfortunate incident and a high-powered investigation has commenced to know what happened.

“The outcome of the investigation will be duly communicated.”