Badagry Journalist Beaten By Smugglers Accuse Custom Officials Of 'Looking Away' During His Ordeal

 

Last week, we reported the case of Yomi Olomofe, a director of a Badagry-based Prime Magazine who was beaten to a pulp by suspected smugglers who accused him of exposing their activities within the Seme border region.

 

This week has led to incriminating revelations against the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS Seme Area who Olomofe accused of ignoring him while he was almost being beaten to death. This he narrated to Punch Metro on Tuesday, 30th Of June, 2015.

In Yomi Olomofe's words;

“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 matter has been 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.

The Journalist has since been hospitalized in an Ikeja medical centre. He also gave some of the names of his attackers as Momoh, Shehu and Elijah.

 

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.