JIGAWA, Nigeria — A routine checkpoint operation turned tragic on Friday, May 26, 2023, when a Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, officer mistakenly fired upon a fellow officer in Jigawa State, according to official reports.
The incident occurred when a vehicle returning from the Niger Republic allegedly failed to halt at the customs checkpoint.
The NCS officer, suspecting foul play, opened fire on the moving vehicle. Only afterward did they identify one of the vehicle’s occupants as their colleague, SC Muhammad Sayyadi, an officer serving at the Lagos State Command.
Sayyadi is notably the son of one of the five first-class emirs in Jigawa, the Emir of Ringim, HRH Dr. Sayyadi Abubakar Mahmud.
The spokesman for the Nigeria Customs Service Kano/Jigawa Area Command, SC Nura Saidu, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to Daily Post.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragic event, and we extend our deepest empathy to the family and friends of the victim,” he said.
Saidu disclosed that the command is diligently investigating to determine the causes of the incident and to ensure that such a tragedy does not repeat itself.
Further reports from Daily Post indicated that other victims of the shooting were admitted to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, and they are currently responding to treatment.
The unfortunate incident has underscored the danger inherent in the split-second decisions officers are often compelled to make in high-pressure situations.
