Four people have been killed in a crossfire between the Nigeria Customs Service operatives and unknown gunmen suspected to be smugglers in Iseyin.

The gun battle threw the rustic town into panic as residents, celebrating the Eid-el-Fitr, fled for safety.

Muftau Abilawon, the former Caretaker Chairman of Iseyin Local Government Council, confirmed the crossfire to the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview on Thursday night.

“I have been duly informed by a traditional chief, the Ikolaba of Iseyin, Chief Ismail Tikalosoro, who called me and narrated the incident to me on the phone.

“He advised that I brief the special adviser to the governor on security about the matter, which I did immediately, and he has promised to intervene,” Mr Abilawon stated.

He added, “I understand that the four corpses were taken to the palace of the Aseyin of Iseyin, where the chiefs appealed for calm and asked the aggrieved residents to deposit the corpses at Fadoks hospital.

“The chiefs also begged them not to set the Customs base in Iseyin ablaze, which they yielded to, but it was too late for the Toyota Hilux van as it was on fire already before the appeal.”

Mr Abilawon, who had resigned from office to participate in the forthcoming council elections, appealed for calm and order in the ancient town.

Efforts to get the police command’s spokesman in Oyo and the NCS spokesman in the state proved futile as they did not respond to calls and messages.

(NAN)