January 23, 2009
I have always had the belief that when it comes to professionalism and transparency among the Para-military institutions we have in Nigeria, Nigerian Customs Service would perhaps be the least. My conviction dated back to 12-15 years ago. I grew up in a small village under Eruwa town in Ibarapa-East Local Government of Oyo State and I’m proud to always associate with my parents during semester breaks. However, during this time, my village which is situated along Eruwa-Iddo-Ibadan road was very known to be a popular route of the notorious Tokunbo vehicle dealers or smugglers even as the NCS which has one of its units in Eruwa up till now can not deny this fact.
To the amazement of all, these smugglers always moved in convoy of between 20-50-70 cars/vehicles at a go unhindered by the men of Nigerian Custom and Nigerian Police who mounted numbers of check-points on this route. As a student of economics then, we were told that those engage in smuggling and their collaborators are economic saboteurs. Then, you discovered that either Customs men or Policemen or both now came to the road 20 minutes after these men of underworld must have reached Ibadan, the State capital. Villagers were confronted with such silly and non-sense question as to where about of these smugglers as if they (Customs men) were just coming from the moon. In view of this, my opinion was that Nigerian Customs men only arrest or apprehends those smugglers that failed to ‘grease their palms’. However, the recent happenings and killings of innocent people by men of Nigerian Customs have not changed my over 15 years perception of NCS but to further solidify it.
In view of the foregoing, may I bring to the notice of the NCS the kind of shabby treatment and harassment being meted out to vehicle owners by the men of NCS especially at old tool gate, Ogere along Lagos – Ibadan Expressway. In fact, the anticlimax of the whole scenario was the recent and gruesome murder of one Prince Adeyemi Bayode in cold blood. Adeyemi flagged down was fell down by the bullet fired by a trigger-happy Customer Officer – one Mr. Ejeh Daniel attached to the Federal Operation Unit of Nigerian Customs Service who could not exercise enough patient to allow Adeyemis to park properly. The ugly incident which happened on January 16, 2009 in the presence of his newly wedded wife terminated their matrimonial life exactly two weeks after.
Unfortunately, shooting of innocent people by the men of the organization (NCS) is becoming alarming in the recent time which is getting worse than the Nigerian Police which hitherto known to be notorious for such killings. Not quite long ago, a friend of mine narrated a similar incident that happened where a registered (numbered) vehicle belonging to one of his family member was impounded by these same men of NCS at same spot only to be released after parting away with some unspecified amount of money! What baffle me apart from the car been a numbered one, has been used for over two years! It is unfortunate that while my friend’s uncle lives to give testimonies, Prince Adeyemi was not that so lucky!
Now, a lot of questions keep bordering my mind; has Nigerian Customs usurped the power of Nigerian Police to inspect vehicle papers? If not, what sort of paper/ information does NCS looking for in registered vehicles? Do we still need to carry custom papers for Tokunbo vehicles bought in an open market at Berger yard and Western Avenue, Surulere? How many of these auto markets/dealers that abound Lagos and other states have they visited for illegal importation before harassing innocent registered vehicle owners about? Is it not admittance of failure, incompetence and deliberate oversight on the part of Nigerian Customs to have allowed restricted vehicles (If at all) /goods to pass through their nose at the border only to be crying wolves and harassing innocent vehicle owners? Wouldn’t it have been beneficial to allow Adeyemi escape than to terminate his life in a bizarre manner without any evidence of wrong doing? Now that Adeyemi has been killed in error, can anybody in NCS bring him back to life? Whether sooner or later, here or hereafter, Daniel Ejeh and all the big Ogas in NCS who look somewhere else because of material gains/returns from their so called ‘loyal boys’ while heinous crime is been committed by them will surely atone for the spilled blood of Prince Adeyemi. May his soul rest in peace!
In view of this, Nigerian Customs Service should call her men to order before another calamity befalls on innocent Nigerians. The men of NCS should be properly re-oriented while the bad ones among are shown the way out the service. The Nigerian Customs should also educate and enlighten the public on what to do or which document to acquire or present when accosted by the men of NCS. It will also be of immense benefit to all vehicle owners to know the demand of NCS so as to be properly guided when making buying decision on Tokunbo cars/vehicles.
To this end, Nigerians can not afford to be losing their love ones who have laboured so hard to get themselves some basic necessities of life to unscrupulous and overzealous men of Nigerian Customs. It is evident that these corrupt officials have failed to do their job at the border post only to be pursuing unsuspecting and innocent car owners around the streets.
Finally, I believe the ‘Nigeria Project’ can still work if everybody does the right thing at the right time and at the right place. It is morally wrong for the men of Nigerian Customs to leave the notorious Tokunbo vehicle dealers off the hook perhaps, after gratification only to be harassing the buyers on the streets. This is perhaps a litmus test for the celebrated new Ag. Comptroller-General of NCS – Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialo to proof his worth in combating border crimes and fishing out the bad eggs within the NCS. How far he goes on this will make or mar the already battered image of the Nigerian Customs, Nigerians are watching.
Adediran J. Adeniyi.
To the amazement of all, these smugglers always moved in convoy of between 20-50-70 cars/vehicles at a go unhindered by the men of Nigerian Custom and Nigerian Police who mounted numbers of check-points on this route. As a student of economics then, we were told that those engage in smuggling and their collaborators are economic saboteurs. Then, you discovered that either Customs men or Policemen or both now came to the road 20 minutes after these men of underworld must have reached Ibadan, the State capital. Villagers were confronted with such silly and non-sense question as to where about of these smugglers as if they (Customs men) were just coming from the moon. In view of this, my opinion was that Nigerian Customs men only arrest or apprehends those smugglers that failed to ‘grease their palms’. However, the recent happenings and killings of innocent people by men of Nigerian Customs have not changed my over 15 years perception of NCS but to further solidify it.
In view of the foregoing, may I bring to the notice of the NCS the kind of shabby treatment and harassment being meted out to vehicle owners by the men of NCS especially at old tool gate, Ogere along Lagos – Ibadan Expressway. In fact, the anticlimax of the whole scenario was the recent and gruesome murder of one Prince Adeyemi Bayode in cold blood. Adeyemi flagged down was fell down by the bullet fired by a trigger-happy Customer Officer – one Mr. Ejeh Daniel attached to the Federal Operation Unit of Nigerian Customs Service who could not exercise enough patient to allow Adeyemis to park properly. The ugly incident which happened on January 16, 2009 in the presence of his newly wedded wife terminated their matrimonial life exactly two weeks after.
Unfortunately, shooting of innocent people by the men of the organization (NCS) is becoming alarming in the recent time which is getting worse than the Nigerian Police which hitherto known to be notorious for such killings. Not quite long ago, a friend of mine narrated a similar incident that happened where a registered (numbered) vehicle belonging to one of his family member was impounded by these same men of NCS at same spot only to be released after parting away with some unspecified amount of money! What baffle me apart from the car been a numbered one, has been used for over two years! It is unfortunate that while my friend’s uncle lives to give testimonies, Prince Adeyemi was not that so lucky!
Now, a lot of questions keep bordering my mind; has Nigerian Customs usurped the power of Nigerian Police to inspect vehicle papers? If not, what sort of paper/ information does NCS looking for in registered vehicles? Do we still need to carry custom papers for Tokunbo vehicles bought in an open market at Berger yard and Western Avenue, Surulere? How many of these auto markets/dealers that abound Lagos and other states have they visited for illegal importation before harassing innocent registered vehicle owners about? Is it not admittance of failure, incompetence and deliberate oversight on the part of Nigerian Customs to have allowed restricted vehicles (If at all) /goods to pass through their nose at the border only to be crying wolves and harassing innocent vehicle owners? Wouldn’t it have been beneficial to allow Adeyemi escape than to terminate his life in a bizarre manner without any evidence of wrong doing? Now that Adeyemi has been killed in error, can anybody in NCS bring him back to life? Whether sooner or later, here or hereafter, Daniel Ejeh and all the big Ogas in NCS who look somewhere else because of material gains/returns from their so called ‘loyal boys’ while heinous crime is been committed by them will surely atone for the spilled blood of Prince Adeyemi. May his soul rest in peace!
In view of this, Nigerian Customs Service should call her men to order before another calamity befalls on innocent Nigerians. The men of NCS should be properly re-oriented while the bad ones among are shown the way out the service. The Nigerian Customs should also educate and enlighten the public on what to do or which document to acquire or present when accosted by the men of NCS. It will also be of immense benefit to all vehicle owners to know the demand of NCS so as to be properly guided when making buying decision on Tokunbo cars/vehicles.
To this end, Nigerians can not afford to be losing their love ones who have laboured so hard to get themselves some basic necessities of life to unscrupulous and overzealous men of Nigerian Customs. It is evident that these corrupt officials have failed to do their job at the border post only to be pursuing unsuspecting and innocent car owners around the streets.
Finally, I believe the ‘Nigeria Project’ can still work if everybody does the right thing at the right time and at the right place. It is morally wrong for the men of Nigerian Customs to leave the notorious Tokunbo vehicle dealers off the hook perhaps, after gratification only to be harassing the buyers on the streets. This is perhaps a litmus test for the celebrated new Ag. Comptroller-General of NCS – Dr. Bernard-Shaw Nwadialo to proof his worth in combating border crimes and fishing out the bad eggs within the NCS. How far he goes on this will make or mar the already battered image of the Nigerian Customs, Nigerians are watching.
Adediran J. Adeniyi.
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