Border Closure: My People Carry Generator Sets On Their Heads To Buy Fuel- Oba Adesiyan

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
The Federal Government continuous closure of border and ban on the sale of petroleum products twenty kilometers away from the border is hitting hard on the people of Ihunbo community, Ipokia local government area, Ogun State.
The Onihunbo of Ihunbo Kingdom, HRM Oba Joseph Olamide Adesiyan however called on Federal Government to take adequate measure and stop the atrocities being committed by Nigeria Custom officers in the community.
HRM Adesiyan, who was totally depressed at the increasing rate of suffering being experienced on daily basis by his people at the border community hinted that the greatest problem his kingdom has was its location near the Nigeria’s border with the Benin Republic.
He made this revelation in his report presented at the press briefing on situation at border communities in Ogun State organised by the Ogun West Consultative Forum (OWECOF) in collaboration with the Ogun West Border Communities Stakeholders in Abeokuta on Thursday.
He stated: “Apart from border closure, the ban on the sale of petroleum products twenty kilometers away from the border communities has become another story of suffering on his people.
“My people are now carrying generator sets on their heads to buy fuel at the filling stations since jerry cans of fuel are being seized by either custom or other security agencies.
“We at the border suffer the sins of smugglers who are not natives of our kingdom, but from different parts of Nigeria. The type of go-slow between Owode Yewa and Oke Odan is already given a heavy load to the old Ajilete bridge in Yewa land, and if this go-slow continues, Ipokia local government will be cut-off from Nigeria.
“Customs officers will keep quiet when contraband goods would pass into Nigeria, and later they will move into the towns and villages in my kingdom shooting ammunitions freely, not minding the presence of people in those areas. As a result many people have been innocently killed.
“The custom officials have no respect for the law that stipulates shooting at legs, they shoot at sight instead of shooting to arrest. Up t this moment, nothing has been said or done about the student of Ojumo community high school killed by custom officer recently.
“The situation in my kingdom is a long story, and if I have to continue, a lot of time will be spent. I am therefore appealing to federal government to stop regarding us as people of Benin Republic as we are Nigerians loyal to our country.”