Customs Officer Killed in Bauchi Under Unclear Circumstances

The passing of senior Nigeria Customs Service officer Mr. Lumi Elisha Gwamis has left the residents of Boi District in Bogoro Local Government Area, Bauchi State, in mourning.

According to DAILY POST, the 44‑year‑old officer was the eldest son of former Bogoro LGA executive chairman Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis.

Community reports suggest that Mr. Gwamis had been experiencing depression and anxiety prior to his death, with some residents speculating that he may have taken his own life.

During a condolence visit on Monday, Mr. Gwamis’s father, Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis, described the incident as “shocking and painful.”

“My son, Lumi, was healthy and hearty. None of us was aware of what he was about to do. It was later that we heard the bad news. It is very unfortunate, and all of us are full of sorrow,” he said.

Residents and sympathisers across Bogoro LGA have expressed their grief, describing the officer’s death as an unfortunate loss.

Mr. Gwamis is scheduled to be buried on Wednesday, June 10, after a funeral service in Boi, Bogoro LGA.

He is survived by his father, Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis; his mother, Mrs. Saratu Elisha Gwamis; and several siblings.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D, Bauchi, has denied reports that the officer died by suicide.

Umar Abdullahi, the unit’s public relations officer, told DAILY POST that the service had not received any information indicating that the deceased had taken his own life.

“What the father of the deceased told us was that he was sick. He came to the office accompanied by his father to document, having been newly posted to the unit from Tin Can Island Port. He took annual leave, which he was entitled to, and left with his father,” Abdullahi said.

“Then the father called us and told us that the officer had died. So, we cannot say that he killed himself since the father didn’t tell us that. We cannot work with rumours or what people are saying; we work based on what the father told us.”

“He hasn’t worked with us here. He just reported and took annual leave. He was recently transferred to Bauchi. When he came and reported, before we posted him, his father told us that he was sick. The officer even said that when he returned, we would allocate an office for him to work. So, what I told you is the only information we have.”

The circumstances surrounding Mr. Gwamis’s death remain unclear at the time of this report.