SSS nabs customs comptroller over arms deal

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Written by Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar, Misbahu Bashir, Sunday Williams, Abuja & Aliyu M. Hamagam, Minna Thursday, 07 June 2012 05:00
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[Comptroller General Abdullahi Dikko]
A Comptroller of Customs was arrested on Tuesday in Abuja for allegedly buying ammunitions over time from Niger State Police command.

Mr. Jack Bot was arrested by men of the State Security Service (SSS) at the customs head office Wuse, Abuja, according to BBC Hausa service report monitored in Abuja yesterday.

The SSS also arrested two police officers for alleged involvement in supplying arms and ammunition to armed robbers, and the information they provided led to the arrest of[b] Mr. Bot.[/b]

The customs officer and the two policemen were alleged to have a connection with the disappearance of some ammunition from the police armoury in Minna.

The security operatives had earlier arrested Bot’s former orderly, identified only as Shehu.

Commenting on the arrest in an interview with Radio France, Hausa service, yesterday, the Comptroller General of Customs Service, Abdullahi Inde Dikko said: “For long we have been working with Ali Kwara, who informed me that they suspected that someone among my officers is aiding armed robbers with weapons. I told him he should fish him out and arrest him, whoever he is. Eventually, they arrested a junior officer, one Shehu, who is an orderly to a comptroller, Jack, from Plateau State.

When Ali Kwara arrested Shehu, he (Shehu) told him that Jack is his boss and they have been doing this together since 2002, and they even supplied weapons to Jos during crises. I thank God that out of 20,000 people I am heading only two people were accused of such crime.”

Earlier, the spokesman of the Nigerian Customs Service Wale Adeniyi had confirmed Bot’s arrest in a text message to our reporter’s enquiry. “I can confirm SSS arrest of a comptroller. Investigation is in full swing; will keep you posted,” the text message read.

Sources told Daily Trust in the course of investigating the story that two police inspectors were arrested and transferred to Force Headquarters last week.

The source said the arrest of some armed robbery suspects led to the arrest of a customs officer and two police inspectors over weapons and munitions supply to the alleged robbers.

The source said the customs officer confessed to investigators that he got his supply of arms and ammunition from two police officers in Niger State.

The Niger State commissioner of police Mrs. Desire D. Nsirim confirmed to Daily Trust on phone that two policemen have been arrested and taken to Force Headquarters in Abuja.

“A customs officer and two policemen were taken to Force Headquarters, Abuja for investigation on a miss-deed,” she said but refused to elaborate.