The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reacted to a viral video showing its operatives implicated in the shooting of a civilian.
The video started circulating on social media on Tuesday after a Facebook user posted it, alleging that it happened the same day.
“A Customs officer along Lagos-Benin Express Way shot and killed a returnee, for refusing to give him Five Thousand Naira,” the video was captioned.
“The passengers were all returning from the US and UK, and going to Benin.
“This happened today, June 3rd, 2025. Please keep sharing till it gets to the highest authorities.Whats this country turning into??????”
In the video, a woman is heard screaming and accusing a customs operative of killing a man over a N5000 bribe.
The woman spoke in Pidgin English.
The passengers could also be seen beating the accused customs officer while a corpse, believed to be the shot citizen, laid on the ground.
CUSTOMS CLARIFIES VIDEO IS OLD
A statement issued by Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS national public relations officer, said the incident happened on February 17, 2019, and was not a recent development.
The statement was issued on behalf of Bashir Adeniyi, customs comptroller-general.
Maiwada said the incident happened at the Shagamu interchange in Ogun, noting that the service took immediate steps to address the situation.
“A public statement was issued at the time, and a disciplinary panel was established to investigate the matter thoroughly,” Maiwada said.
“At the end of the process, appropriate sanctions were applied, including the dismissal of the officers found culpable.
“It is pertinent to reiterate that the NCS is a statutory government agency guided by rules of engagement and, therefore, will not condone any misconduct from its personnel.
“While the video may have resurfaced unexpectedly, the issue had been conclusively addressed, and justice was served in accordance with the Service’s regulations.”
Maiwada urged the public to avoid spreading misleading content and, instead, seek accurate information through NCS official channels.
TheCable also found reports of the incident in 2019.
According to the reports, the NCS had denied that its officer sought bribe.
The service also identified the deceased as a citizen who runs errands for customs officials whenever they return and not a passenger of the bus as claimed.
At the time, NCS had said the deceased was killed by an accidental shot fired by the officer during a scuffle.
