Four killed, as angry mob razes Nigeria Customs vehicles in Sokoto

Two vehicles belonging to the Nigeria Customs Service in Sokoto state have been set ablaze by angry mob in protest against the killing of four persons in a road accident involving three commercial vehicles in the state.

The mob blamed a Nigeria Customs checkpoint in Asara Unit of Illela command for a fatal accident that claimed the lives of four persons.

Eyewitnesses claimed that, -two Toyota Avenses and a Golf Salon collided while trying to evade arrest by dodging a stop and search checkpoint mounted by officials of the Nigeria Customs.

Sources said the drivers involved allegedly loaded their vehicles with contraband goods, such as foreign rice and vegetable oil and on sighting the checkpoint of the Customs they, make attempt to evade arrest and in the process caused the fatal accidents that claimed the lives of four persons while several other persons sustained different degrees of injuries.

Four persons were confirmed dead at the scene of the accident while six persons that sustained injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital in Gwadabawa local government area of Sokoto state.

Sources say, angry mob at the village reacted to the accident and started attacking the property and other facilities of the Nigeria Customs and in the process set ablaze the vehicles of the Nigeria Customs.

Sources say it took the timely intervention of the men of the Nigeria Army to stop further attack on the facilities of the Nigeria Customs in the Unit.

Spokesman of the Sokoto/Zamfara Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Tahir Balarabe described the incident as unfortunate

He confirmed that two vehicles belonging to the command and one belonging to the officer in charge of the unit were burnt by the angry mob.

Mr. Balarabe maintained that the officials were only carrying out their legitimate duties by preventing the entrance of contraband into the country as stipulated by the Customs and Excise law.