The African Bar Association has called for the probe of a video clip circulating online, which showed a Customs officer shooting a civilian dead.
The incident was said to have happened on Sunday, February 17 in the Sagamu area of Ogun State, while the victim was identified as one Godwin.
AFBA, in a statement by the Chairman of its Justice Sector Reform Commission, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa,said the case must be probed.
It said, “AFBA recalls that Nigeria is a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which has been domesticated as part of its municipal laws and recognised by the Supreme Court of Nigeria as an enforceable legislation.
“Article 4 of the African Charter provides as follows: Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right.
“The shooting of citizen Godwin by the Customs men amounts to summary execution and it is a cause for worry, especially in a country where the misuse of firearms by security personnel has been on the increase.
“AFBA urges a thorough investigation into this incident by the government of Nigeria and the African Union, and if there is an established violation of the African Charter or any other municipal legislation by this misconduct, it should be addressed squarely and the perpetrators brought to justice.
“In this regard, AFBA will inaugurate an independent commission of inquiry into this incident where the Nigerian government fails to act decisively.”
