Worried about the incessant raids on markets, ubiquitous roadblocks on highways where containers and vehicles are seized after release by senior officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), stakeholders want the management of the service to direct officers to pay more attention to ports and border routes where these consignments pass through instead of the harassment of innocent Nigerians by unscrupulous officers, writes Francis Ugwoke
In the past few months, market women have cried out over the raids on Lagos markets by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). The raids have also been carried out in other markets outside Lagos. During such raids, sometimes late in the night, millions of goods, mainly rice are carted away by the operatives of the anti-corruption units of the customs. It is a nightmare for the traders who on leaving for home after each day’s business come back to discover that their shops have been broken into and goods, being their only source of livelihood, are gone. Apart from raiding markets, operatives of the Customs also mount road blocks outside ports or border locations waiting for goods for intervention. Many who have fallen victims include motorists who acquired new vehicles and may be taking them to their home towns for the first time. Along East-West road, one can find so many customs officers stopping every car that has new number for checks. Some of them end up being seized by the customs over duty payment fraud. The Customs also lay siege on the express road waiting for some containers cleared at the ports for re-examination. Those that fall short of expectations are usually seized on the road.
Raid of Markets
Shortly before Christmas, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Customs in Lagos raided some markets in the area. One of the markets raided was Mile 2 market. During the raid, 580 bags of rice were carted away. For the victims, it was all lamentation. The women wept uncontrollably, saying some customs officials and soldiers broke into their stores to cart away bags of rice at odd hours. This was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Uche Ejesieme who defended the action. Uche said the operatives raided the market based on intelligence information that large quantities of smuggled goods were kept in an open location at Mile 2 area of Lagos . He also confirmed that the operatives swooped on the market at very odd hour of between 1-00 am and 3.00am on a Saturday. Apart from the 580 bags of rice that were carted away, 151 pieces of used tyres were also seized. The question that comes to mind on the raid is whether the customs operatives followed the goods to their destination before the interception. Otherwise, what of if the information was wrong.
Laying Siege on the Road
For those who travel to Ondo, Ekiti, Benin and the South East or South South, operatives of the Customs always lay siege on the routes. They either intercept containers or vehicles. Many have had their vehicles or other types of goods seized during such checks. Only those who have enough cash and ready to settle can be saved. In the case of vehicles, it is either the owner bought a vehicle which duty payment may have been forged. While the measure adopted by the Customs may be a welcome development to check all kinds of trade crime, particularly those who are not ready to repent of decades of fraudulent activities, it is being argued that officers of the Service have been abusing this right. First is that the exercise is tainted by massive corruption because of the illicit money that exchanges hands. Only those who cannot settle on the spot are the ones whose goods are seized.
Double Standard
Under the practice, some officers of the Service are also accused of double standard, as the victim is set free after settlement at one checkpoint, he would soon run into another team who would conduct another round of checks and extort him. Besides, the same goods, particularly, containersied ones had gone through all checks at the ports and border stations and the owners allowed to take delivery by the Customs officials. The papers presented when caught have also been endorsed by customs officials. The argument by many is that such officers who released the goods should be punished. It was also gathered that some officers at both ports and border routes after receiving settlement also give tip-off to their other colleagues on check points for the purpose of another round of settlement.
Protests
For many Nigerians, raiding markets and intercepting goods already cleared at the ports or border stations on the high way is not the best. Those who spoke to this writer said that except for goods that endanger lives, such as weapons of warfare or destruction, the customs should target the seaports and border routes instead of harassing Nigerians on the high way.
A freight forwarder, Mr Jones Akabogu, particularly referring to the 580 bags of rice that were seized by the customs argued that since the goods in question were not contraband, it was wrong to raid markets or warehouses on the mere excuse that they were suspected to have been smuggled into the country.
Such practice, he said, could be subject of abuse by the officers of the Customs who may seize even goods that may have come into the country genuinely. He also said that the other reason for the seizure on the road could be when the owners fail to prove the legality of the goods. According to him, the worst scenario is for the customs operatives to break into shops in the market to seize any goods on the excuse that they received a tip-off. He said competitors can set their rivals up by giving false information to the Customs for selfish purposes.
Akabogu argued that what the anti-corruption units of the Customs should do is to tighten security around the border posts, including bush paths and ensure that such goods do not pass instead of raiding markets for them.
He also opined that since importation of rice is not illegal, seizing them in stores at markets could amount to miscarriage of justice as even other goods cleared legally may be affected. Similarly, the worst scenario, another freight forwarder, Mr Ade Olusegun, said, is for the Customs to raid markets at night when stores or warehouses are broken into and goods carted away. Olusegun queried how the Customs can prove that such goods may not have been bought genuinely from importers who paid duties on them. He said fellow competitors could give wrong information to the Customs on other traders for no just cause. According to him, the Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), should warn officers to desist from raiding markets and carting goods away in the absence of the owners. He added that the current practice of raiding markets was another way of killing innocent people’s businesses at a time when the economy is in crisis.
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