The House of
Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
over the alleged killing of four persons
during a recent raid in Lagos.
The probe will extend to other raids
nation-wide.
The House set up an
ad-hoc committee to do the job.
The committee is
also expected to probe allegations of illegal raiding of markets, warehouses,
diversion of impounded goods for personal use by Customs officials and any
other alleged misdemeanour by the operatives. It has six weeks to report back
to the House.
This is sequel to a
motion moved by Hon. Olajide Olatubosun (APC, Oyo) at yesterday’s plenary on
the “Urgent need to investigate alleged killing of four unarmed Nigerians in
Lagos by personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).”
Olatubosun lamented
the killing of the four persons during a recent raid by Customs officials in
Lagos.
He said over the
years, many Nigerians, who were going about their legitimate businesses had
either been killed or maimed by overzealous Customs personnel. The legislator
noted that unfortunately, efforts by bereaved families to hold the Service
accountable for the actions of its officials had been futile.
Olatuboson said
though the duties of the Customs should be restricted to the borders, seaports
and airports, the Service had extended its operations beyond the areas of its
core.
Speaker Yakubu
Dogara, who presided over the plenary, before putting the question to a vote,
said because the motion is investigative in nature, there would be no need for
debate on the issue.
Meanwhile, a bill to
alter the 1999 Constitution to provide for independent candidacy yesterday
scaled through Second Reading in the House.
The bill, sponsored
by Hon Edward Pwajok (PDP, Plateau), seeks to alter Sections 221, 225,65(B),
106(6),132 and 133 of the 1999 Constitution.
Leading debate on
the bill, Pwajok said independent candidacy will give Nigerians seeking for
elective office an opportunity to decide whether they want to belong to a
political party or not.
“The time to show
that we are a matured democracy is now and that will be by giving Nigerians the
choice to decide whether they want to be political party members or not,” the
legislator said.
The Speaker later
referred the bill to the Special Ad-hoc Committee on Review of the 1999
Constitution.
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