The Nigerian Customs service has made a dramatic U-turn over its allegations regarding the ownership of some impounded vehicles said to belong to a senator. This is in sharp contrast to confirmation by the Compliance Task
Force Zonal Commander, Bala Dole, that the unit set up by the Controller
General, Colonel Hameed Ali (retd), seized 223 vehicles, 13 of which belong to a senator from Kano State.
Dole in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on
Monday, said the vehicles, belonging to the unidentified senator, were
12 new Toyota Hilux and one Land Cruiser Jeep.
Dole, who declined to name the said senator, said the 13 vehicles
were trailed from Maigatari in Jigawa State, following an intelligence
report, indicating they were smuggled into Nigeria via land borders.
Reacting on Thursday, Joseph Attah, Customs Public Relations Officer, in a statement presented what he termed “the facts”.
“That the Operatives of NCS Compliance Team, based on credible
intelligence, trailed the movement of some smuggled vehicles from
Maigatari, Jigawa State to a house at Magaji Rumfa, GRA Kano.
“On the 7th February, 2017, eleven (11) vehicles, 10 Hilux and one
(1) Land cruiser jeep were retrieved from the house at Magaji Rumfa GRA,
Kano and taken for detention at the HQ of Customs Area Command Kano.
“That the officers discovered there were no occupants in the house,
hence the gate was forced opened to retrieve the smuggled vehicles.
“That investigation into the smuggling of the vehicles is still on to establish the true owner”, he said.
Credit - NAN
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