Those carrying contrabands are retired military, police officers- Senate Panel
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, has stated that some retired police, military officers and other security operatives are behind smuggling activities at the country’s borders.
He also spoke on the inability of Nigerian Custom Service to tackle perpetrators of smuggling, who he said are sabotaging the nation’s developments efforts.
Fadahunsi, a retired Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, on Friday said,
“The Nigerian Customs Service does not have enough manpower to tackle the smugglers. For any patrol team, there must be two jeeps with at least 11 personnel. However, we see cases whereby a patrol is taking place with three officers; that is nothing but selfish and fraudulent patrol.
“When they now accost the armed smugglers in more than 100 vehicles in the middle of the night, nothing can be done.
“There is even an incident in Ogun State when a Custom driver was shot and was taken away by the smugglers.
“Who are these smugglers, particularly in the Ilaro and Idiroko axis of Ogun State? They are all retired police, retired Customs, retired military personnel and retired personnel of other security operatives. Those are the people carrying contraband goods.”
According to him, the NCS is losing officers because it does not have the capacity to stop these smugglers.
“If the personnel are just about three or four in a patrol jeep, the smugglers will just shoot the driver and the leader of the patrol will abandon the patrol and escape.
“The smugglers will then take the shot Customs officer away. The NCS is losing officers always.”
He added that “A serving brigadier general is coordinating the patrol activities of the NCS which is abnormal.”
