The Nigeria Customs Service have reacted to the viral video of one of its officers assaulting Samson Nwachukwu, an aide to the Delta state governor in the presence of his colleague and a military officer.
The incident happened on Saturday, May 7, along the Benin/Agbor Expressway.
In a viral video on social media, the custom officer was seen landing a heavy slap on the human rights activist following an argument.
The video however ended with a military officer telling the customs officer to “get this man down.”
A statement released by the agency’s spokesperson, DC Timi Bomodi, says the officer in question and other members of that team from FOU Zone ‘C’ have since been withdrawn from patrol duties and are currently under administrative investigation at the NCS Zonal Headquarters Zone ‘C’ Port Harcourt.
The statement read;
”Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service have been trained to carry out their duties with dignity and respect, and are expected to display decorum in all their conduct at all times.
“Where they fail to carry out their brief as assigned, appropriate sanctions are applied to enforce discipline.
“The NCS would like to reassure the general public of its commitment to the welfare and safety of all citizens and frowns seriously at any act by its personnel capable of misrepresenting its corporate image.
“We ask that all law-abiding persons go about their activities without fear of intimidation or harassment as we work assiduously to bring closure to this unwholesome incident.”
The action by the officers have since been greeted with widespread condemnation with many calling for sanctions against the perpetrators.
