Customs officer commits suicide over missing files

An Assistant Comptroller at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Headquarters, Abuja, Abdul Omuya Sanni, has allegedly committed suicide to avoid prosecution over some missing files.

His body was discovered on Saturday morning, dangling on the ceiling,” a family source said.

The late Sanni, 58 worked in the Investigation Unit at the NCS Headquarters, Abuja, and hailed from the North Central part of Kogi State was transferred to Abuja from Lagos early this year.

He resided with his family at the senior wing quarters of Customs officers at Kuje, where he tied himself to the ceiling with a rope on Saturday.

“He was assigned over 70 case files. Some of the files contained very sensitive and criminal cases which are due for hearing in court. He took ill and sought permission to attend to his health in Lagos.

On return, he discovered seven out of the files had been stolen where he kept them in the office. He has been facing probe over the whereabouts of these files. Whenever he was summoned, he was consistent in his innocence.

He was billed to appear before a constituted disciplinary committee on Monday (today). The development upset him, considering that he had barely two years to his retirement from Customs.

“On Friday, he pressurised his wife, who came from Lagos on a visit,to return to Lagos. He told his wife to return to Lagos to facilitate his children’s resumption in school. The wife insisted on travelling on Wednesday, after his appearance before the disciplinary committee on Monday (today).

He mounted pressure on the wife to leave. The wife left for Lagos on Friday night. He spoke with his wife in transit in the middle of the night, asking about her journey.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the Customs, Joseph Atta, confirmed Sanni’s death.

He said: “Yes, we lost an officer yesterday (Saturday). I don’t know the circumstances of his death. Our hearts are with the family of the deceased.”

He had since been buried at noon on Sunday at Kuje Cemetery in accordance with Islamic rites.