Nigerian Real Estate Mogul Begs President Tinubu to Curb Customs' Reckless Use of Firearms

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Ambassador Babatunde Adeyemo, a prominent real estate entrepreneur, and CEO of Pelucan Valley Limited, has made an impassioned plea to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate action against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) operatives’ reckless use of guns against civilians.

Adeyemo’s call comes after he narrowly escaped being shot dead by Customs operatives in Ogun State on December 8, 2024.

Narrating his harrowing experience, Adeyemo said his vehicle was shot at by Customs men just five seconds after passing a checkpoint.

” The bullet damaged the back seat and was stopped by a laptop, sparing my life. This traumatic incident has driven me to fight against the impunity of Customs officials and seek justice for victims”.

The appeal was during 1st anniversary of Adeyemo’s foundation, Oko Opo Foundation, which empowers widows, orphans, and the less privileged, hosted 150 widows on Boxing Day, providing them with free medical attention, food, and cash palliatives.

During the event, Adeyemo urged President Tinubu, the National Assembly, and other authorities to investigate the numerous allegations of vicious attacks by Customs officials in Ogun communities.

“The issue of reckless killings by Customs officials is a longstanding concern in Nigeria. Experts suggest that the NCS needs to reform its practices to align with global best practices and that the government must hold perpetrators accountable and compensate victims”.

According to him “I want you all to take a moment and join me in expressing gratitude to God Almighty for sparing my life after a near-fatal shooting incident by an operative of the Nigeria Customs Service. It was a traumatic experience, but God’s mercy and protection saw me through.”

“Perhaps, we may not be here today to mark this event if the shooting incident had taken a different turn. An overzealous, gun-toting law enforcement agent could have robbed widows of their source of joy this December but God did not allow evil to happen. Let us praise God!”

“On Sunday, 8th December, this year, I attended the grand finale of the Ibese Asakanran Day festival where I was privileged to be the Chairman of the occasion. While returning from the journey, my vehicle passed by a checkpoint mounted by Customs personnel along the Ibara-Orile area. I was inside the vehicle with some of my aides.”

“Barely five seconds after we passed the checkpoint, we all heard the sound of gunshot! We immediately parked and found that our vehicle was shot at by one of the Customs men. The bullet pierced through the back of my vehicle, damaging the back seat, and was eventually stopped by the laptop kept directly behind me. But for the mercy of God, I could have been hit as I was seated directly where the bullet traveled.”

“However, I am committed to fighting this anomaly, not only for myself but also in the interest of widows, some of whom have tragically lost their spouses in similar situations.”

“We cannot continue to cut off our noses to spite our faces. Granted that the government deployed law enforcement agents to sanitize society and help shore up revenue generation, the security personnel cannot continue to act with impunity. They cannot continue to kill, maim, and destroy the livelihoods of those they are primarily meant to protect.”

“It is high time President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly, and other relevant authorities looked into the numerous allegations of incessant vicious attacks by Customs officials in our various communities.”

The government must fish out the bad eggs from the system, heavily compensate victims, devoid of bureaucratic bottlenecks, and reform the Customs service to align with global best practices.”