On Sunday, December 1, 2024, two residents, Taofeek Olatunbosun and Rafiu Abdelmalik, were severely beaten by officers from the Nigerian Customs Service and military personnel at a checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme Expressway. The altercation occurred after the men were caught recording a video, which the security operatives suspected was intended for journalists covering smuggling activities on the road.
Olatunbosun and Abdelmalik, both transporters, had stopped at a fuel station to refuel and update their customers about their location. According to Olatunbosun, he had asked his assistant to record a video to send to his customer, when a security officer tried to grab the phone, prompting the officers at the checkpoint to intervene. They accused the men of recording the video for journalists who were allegedly investigating smuggling on the route.
The officers took Olatunbosun and Abdelmalik to a secluded location and contacted Officer Adamu Zakari, a soldier who allegedly recognized Olatunbosun and even claimed to know his brother. Despite this, Zakari reportedly threatened to kill Olatunbosun’s brother if they ever crossed paths again. The situation escalated when Zakari, expressing disbelief at their story, suggested that they should have been killed and dumped in the water, leading to a violent beating.
Abdelmalik, the second victim, described how he had simply followed his boss’s orders when one of the smugglers, allegedly working with the security officers, slapped him and tried to seize his phone. The men were tortured, with the officers demanding to know which journalists they were planning to send the video to. It was only after nearby residents called the police that the two men were rescued.
Abdelmalik expressed relief, saying that without the intervention of the residents, they would likely have been killed. It was later revealed that the same officers had previously warned journalists in the Badagry area not to report on smuggling activities. This incident follows an exposé by journalist Fisayo Soyombo, which uncovered the Nigerian Customs Service’s alleged involvement in facilitating smuggling along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Soyombo’s investigation showed Customs vehicles at checkpoints allowing smugglers to pass freely with goods like rice, chicken, and turkey, and raised concerns about the possible trafficking of illicit drugs or weapons.
In response to the incident, Abdullahi Hossein, the Public Relations Officer for the Seme Border Customs, assured the public that the officers involved would be immediately withdrawn from the checkpoint. He stated, “What they did does not represent our values, and we take full responsibility for their actions.” Regarding the involvement of military personnel, Hossein noted that while military personnel were working alongside Customs officers due to the sensitive nature of some patrols, he was not certain if they were involved in this incident. He emphasized that the Customs Service would take responsibility for the actions of all officers involved and urged the victims to contact them.
