Corruption. That canker-worm has burrowed a comfortable home in the main fabric of the Nigerian Customs Service. You feel it everywhere you turn. It stares you in the face. It is so present; so visceral, so real. It stands next to you. It is by your side. It is everywhere. It is a way of life. It is the blood of the agency. It is all that the service represents. I used to think that the Nigeria Police Force is deep in the art, until my recent experience unraveled the stench that oozes from the bowels of this modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.
It all started in April this year, when a relation of mine decided to import a used car from the United States. He contacted me, an “omo Eko”, to be his “ears and eyes” to get the vehicle cleared from Tin Can Island Port through a clearing and forwarding agent. I quickly contacted an agent, upon recommendation by another friend. He “shocked” me by saying that clearing a used car from Tin Can Island Port is akin to passing the proverbial camel through the needle’s eye. He estimated that I may spend as much as the cost of the car in the port before I can lay hands on it. I thought it was a joke.
I handed the Bill of Lading to him to start processing. He reported back the next day that the Customs demanded for N0.5 million before they can “value” the car, else I would have to pay more than N 7,000,000.00 to clear! I was alarmed and I resisted.
After 2 weeks of back and forth, I decided to visit the port myself. I hitched a SeaCoaster boat ride across the Lagos Lagoon and in 5 minutes, I was face-to-face with barefaced corruption. Impunity beyond belief. I was tossed around like a yoyo, until I finally got to the office of one Mr. Kolo Baba Jiiyah, the PA to the Controller for Tin Can Port, Mrs. Talatu. His office is tucked in the inner recesses of the Customs compound in Tin Can. Seated on a desk by his corner is a full-size framed photograph of Talatu, an obviously overfed bulky woman, struggling between a bulging tummy and the demands of her “salute” posture, standing on an epitaph that read “African Customs Officer of the Year 2013”. The drapes that formed the backdrop obviously depicted the colors of Ghana, where the "award" was handed. This much was confirmed by the next statement: “award given in Accra, Ghana blablabla…”. While I scanned the office, Mr. Kolo was busy on the phone, negotiating with someone on the other side about “money for madam” and the other stakeholders, and the one that must go to Abuja. The phone call dragged on and on, until another customs lady came in to toss a bulging envelope to Kolo. He dropped the call, took a look and the envelope and asked how much. The woman replied 3M. He smiled, opened his steel cabinet and tossed it in. He said the amount was less than they negotiated and the customs woman replied that the man said he ran out of cash completely!And I waited.
It went past 1 hour after I arrived when he spoke to me. His tone was commanding. I should get out of his office and look for money to clear my car. He referred me to “valuation” - a unit in the agency, across the road where arbitrary values are placed on imported whares. I got there sharply. It is a reprehensible sight of commotion, confusion, chaos and disorganization. Hundreds of rowdy men and women loiter around the vicinity, wheeling and dealing. Most of them, from the Eastern side of our dear country. Money was changing hands in quick succession. People were literally standing on their heads to scramble for valuation papers. I sauntered into the Valuation Officer's dingy office, clutching unto my car papers. He momentarily looked at me, and requested that I wait outside. After about an hour, I intruded into his office space aain and demanded that I be attended to. The valuation man referred me back to Kolo with a caveat that only Kolo is responsible for cars that were made from 2014 upwards. That was how the day ended.
Another two weeks after, the agent came with a paper stating that customs insisted I must send N 4 million and the corresponding N.05 million for officers. In frustration, I sent the money. The agent went to get the car but brought a Skye Bank Teller that read N3,200,000.00 paid in favor of the Nigeria Customs Service! I instantly knew that I had been swindled. And I would not take it. The car did not come out either. So, I returned to Tin Can Island. Whodunit?
I connected with my agent again and demanded that he shows me the man that he handed over half a million Naira to! He took me to Kolo. Kolo again? It crossed my mind that I actually complained to Kolo in my earlier visit that someone in the Customs Service, was demanding for money to clear my car. I expected that he would “do something” about it. I never knew that he was the actual culprit! I sensed that something grander, deeper and more odoriferous was in that place. Something sinister yet familiar. I decided to dig deeper.
My agent told me that paying money to Kolo and indeed, his “Oga Madam” is a way of life. That the money is shared around, and that a share must be sent to Abuja for the Controller-General. He said that I was lucky to be billed only half a million.
I confronted Kolo about the sleaze. He told me to rather focus on my car, than think about how much I spent! Few hours after, I was told that the rates for clearing cars have been adjusted by the new government of President Buhari; that my car cannot come out again.
In astonishment, I went to Oga Madam. She told me to go look for another N2.8 million Naira to clear the car; that the code that was used to make my earlier payment to customs in Skye Bank was no longer valid since customs had upgraded the system! She was very audacious. Very commanding. Very haughty. Very in-charge. There was something fundamentally not ok with that woman. I continued to dig!
I was told that she is an “untouchable” within the customs system. I was told the even the Controller-General is afraid of Mrs. Talatu. I was told that her roots penetrate very deep; that she was planted by IBB and that everybody in the system, including the CGC is afraid of Talatu. She draws her power from the forces of darkness that have held this country to its knees since 1960. She is the law. She determines what you pay for what import.

I had to cry to Berekete Family Radio Programme in Love FM - Abuja; originate petitions to “ogas at the top”, etc. for the car to be released with a very huge bil for demurrage. I learnt my lessons and have lived with the trauma unto this day.
Nigeria Customs Service stinks to high heavens. This is the reason I applaud President Buhari for appointing a no-nonsense Colonel Ali into the Customs Service. He needs to use a very big broom to sweep the service very fast. Too many extremely corrupt fat cats to weed out. Too many entrenched interests. Too many vested interests. Too many decades of decay. My experience with the Customs completely destroyed my faith in the ability of our country to ever get better. I hope Ali proves me wrong.

Oga carry Ur story go corner. No be today e start. Since when other Ppl day complain wetin u do? Count Ur losses n plan for gains

This incident happened under which administration?

True talk, majority own car showrooms, supermarkets, fabric stores etc. They are evil to the core..

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
This incident happened under which administration?

The administration doesnt matter anymore.... the most important thing is that a new comptroller general who is not even a customs man, but rather, a highly disciplined ex soldier has been appointed to clean the mess in the customs.
Hallelluia!!!

obailala:
The administration doesnt matter anymore.... the most important thing is that a new comptroller general who is not even a customs man, but rather, a highly disciplined ex soldier has been appointed to clean the mess in the customs.
Hallelluia!!!

Bros, Buhari taught Atiku Abubakar stealing by nepotism when Atiku was still incorruptible Asst Controller General of Nigeria Customs during his military regime.

Buhari is good in probing other administrations and consequently absolving himself of complicity at any given time.

Buhari is Just like Prof Jega who will do everything to defend 95% of previous elections under him as free and fair, just to keep the accolades given to him by the western countries no matter the monumental flaws across the board.

I hope the new Customs CG will be able to clear the rot in this sector. If you travel and ferry or have brought in stuffs into the country, you'd know that Customs need to be purged and cleaned. It is only an external body and a man of principle that can do that. I hope Col. Ali will be in tune with the kind of modern and sophisticated shenanigan they perpetrate there.


Nuhu Ribadu should be another candidate for this office.

My experience with custom was at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport ladt year--- on a return from a vacation.

As is customary, with Nigerians/Africans being a communal environment, my spouse & i got clothes for my kids, our siblings & respective nieces & nephews... We filled the normal 23kg bags & came in with no drama, claiming our bag and about to step out of the departure area we were accosted by custom officers who asked to "value" the contents of our baggages & proceeded to fine us 100k for import duties on personal effects which really got me so angry to i muttered "extortion" under my breath..

One of the officers overhead & promptly asked that our bags be seized & we present ALL RECEIPTS, eventually we parted with 20k as settlement cos one of the officers pleaded on behalf of my spouse..

There is not one single honest soul in that outfit!!

Poliporpor:
Oga carry Ur story go corner. No be today e start. Since when other Ppl day complain wetin u do? Count Ur losses n plan for gains

I don't usually reply people on this forum, but boy...you are dumb to the rooftop. It is either you are Talatu or Kolo or you are a crab with a belly and no head.

The Nigerian Customs Service is not more corrupt than any other institution in the country. The Army, Police, NPA, Pilgrims Board, and other institutions are equally corrupt.

The only thing is that corruption is always relative to the amount available to steal. The Customs Service is exposed to a lot of opportunities for enrichment, that explains why it is such a lucrative job with a high corruption perception level.

If you agree with the appointment of an outsider to head the Customs, then you should also see nothing wrong in the appointment of a retired police or immigration officer as the Chief of Army Staff. I think Ali's appointment is ridiculous and unjustifiable. Buhari is taking us back to the dark days of Military rule when such arbitrary and anomalous appointments were commonplace.

Anyone who haven't had an encounter with those demonic customs people will have no clue what the op is saying.
They even behave like what they are doing is legal without any remorse whatsoever.
If appointing from the north will solve it,then pmb we are behind you.

Anyone who haven't had an encounter with those demonic customs people will have no clue what the op is saying.
They even behave like what they are doing is legal without any remorse whatsoever.
If appointing from the north will solve it,then pmb we are behind you.

In as much as I appreciate what the president is doing so far, but I have to confess, appointing an ex-army that retired when the world was at manual stage, with no single idea what customs is all about says a lot about this president, the op have no idea on customs work and decided to show "Omo eko" to make some few "change" only to end up loose more than what he bargain for, that's exactly what will happen to this hamid, customs of today is technological based service, op let me tell you some few things about clearing of car either 2ru port or border stations
* duties are paid based on ad-valereom values
*valuation unit is saddled with valuing your vehicle
*tokumbo cars pays 35% of FOB with out levy while new cars pays both levy and duty, VAT and other charges inclusive
*cars are valued based on car make, car year and the engine capacity e.g a Venza is normally regarded as a car cuz of it engine capacity while 2004 highlander is considered as a jeep
*mileage is used as a yardstick in determining whether a car is new or tokumbo; normally car with less than 50k mileage is considered as new anything more than that is considered as tokunbo
*in case of port; some agents prefer to clear their goods as either individual or the whole container i.e irrespective of how many cars are inside the container hence they will produce only 1 SGD with all the cars. Chasis number written on it.
*as it is now, customs doesn't collect duty rather banks and DTI ( direct trader input) are saddled with that, after they value your car, you will be ask to go to a designated bank to pay that amount, a receipt and computer print out will be issued to you, you will move to ASYCUDA ( Automated Sysytem for Customs Data) where the number that was initially generated both in the DTI and bank will pass 2ru customs computer that is connected with the main server in Abuja, a process called "Selectivity " will be triggered by the computer, where the computer will try to ascertain whether the correct value is being paid or not ( there are 4 color selectivity : Green, Blue, Yellow and Red) depending on the the outcome, abuja will be notified about the transaction, if everything is ok, a green color will be "triggered" meaning it's a go, blue is for big companies; they call it "fast track" or "post clearance audit", yellow means there is a discrepancy hence the nees for documentary checks, red is for 100% physical examination. At the end an exit note will be sent from the computer to the man at the gate they call them TO (terminal operators) notifying him of such consignment.
* so, many people are involved including abuja in clearing of goods, they era were people will collect money and issue a receipt is gone
*am not saying that those customs officer aren't corrupt or they are corrupt both the point am trying to make is; there is a system in place to check mate corrupt practices and give you more power to ask questions
*op you went into a business that you don't have a single idea on how it's run that's why all this things happen to you
*hamid can't do anything; the service is already reforming itself and have been generating revenue steadily but whoever advise pmb on that one, I think he is wrong.

celemel:
Corruption. That canker-worm has burrowed a comfortable home in the main fabric of the Nigerian Customs Service. You feel it everywhere you turn. It stares you in the face. It is so present; so visceral, so real. It stands next to you. It is by your side. It is everywhere. It is a way of life. It is the blood of the agency. It is all that the service represents. I used to think that the Nigeria Police Force is deep in the art, until my recent experience unraveled the stench that oozes from the bowels of this modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.
It all started in April this year, when a relation of mine decided to import a used car from the United States. He contacted me, an “omo Eko”, to be his “ears and eyes” to get the vehicle cleared from Tin Can Island Port through a clearing and forwarding agent. I quickly contacted an agent, upon recommendation by another friend. He “shocked” me by saying that clearing a used car from Tin Can Island Port is akin to passing the proverbial camel through the needle’s eye. He estimated that I may spend as much as the cost of the car in the port before I can lay hands on it. I thought it was a joke.
I handed the Bill of Lading to him to start processing. He reported back the next day that the Customs demanded for N0.5 million before they can “value” the car, else I would have to pay more than N 7,000,000.00 to clear! I was alarmed and I resisted.
After 2 weeks of back and forth, I decided to visit the port myself. I hitched a SeaCoaster boat ride across the Lagos Lagoon and in 5 minutes, I was face-to-face with barefaced corruption. Impunity beyond belief. I was tossed around like a yoyo, until I finally got to the office of one Mr. Kolo Baba Jiiyah, the PA to the Controller for Tin Can Port, Mrs. Talatu. His office is tucked in the inner recesses of the Customs compound in Tin Can. Seated on a desk by his corner is a full-size framed photograph of Talatu, an obviously overfed bulky woman, struggling between a bulging tummy and the demands of her “salute” posture, standing on an epitaph that read “African Customs Officer of the Year 2013”. The drapes that formed the backdrop obviously depicted the colors of Ghana, where the "award" was handed. This much was confirmed by the next statement: “award given in Accra, Ghana blablabla…”. While I scanned the office, Mr. Kolo was busy on the phone, negotiating with someone on the other side about “money for madam” and the other stakeholders, and the one that must go to Abuja. The phone call dragged on and on, until another customs lady came in to toss a bulging envelope to Kolo. He dropped the call, took a look and the envelope and asked how much. The woman replied 3M. He smiled, opened his steel cabinet and tossed it in. He said the amount was less than they negotiated and the customs woman replied that the man said he ran out of cash completely!And I waited.
It went past 1 hour after I arrived when he spoke to me. His tone was commanding. I should get out of his office and look for money to clear my car. He referred me to “valuation” - a unit in the agency, across the road where arbitrary values are placed on imported whares. I got there sharply. It is a reprehensible sight of commotion, confusion, chaos and disorganization. Hundreds of rowdy men and women loiter around the vicinity, wheeling and dealing. Most of them, from the Eastern side of our dear country. Money was changing hands in quick succession. People were literally standing on their heads to scramble for valuation papers. I sauntered into the Valuation Officer's dingy office, clutching unto my car papers. He momentarily looked at me, and requested that I wait outside. After about an hour, I intruded into his office space aain and demanded that I be attended to. The valuation man referred me back to Kolo with a caveat that only Kolo is responsible for cars that were made from 2014 upwards. That was how the day ended.
Another two weeks after, the agent came with a paper stating that customs insisted I must send N 4 million and the corresponding N.05 million for officers. In frustration, I sent the money. The agent went to get the car but brought a Skye Bank Teller that read N3,200,000.00 paid in favor of the Nigeria Customs Service! I instantly knew that I had been swindled. And I would not take it. The car did not come out either. So, I returned to Tin Can Island. Whodunit?
I connected with my agent again and demanded that he shows me the man that he handed over half a million Naira to! He took me to Kolo. Kolo again? It crossed my mind that I actually complained to Kolo in my earlier visit that someone in the Customs Service, was demanding for money to clear my car. I expected that he would “do something” about it. I never knew that he was the actual culprit! I sensed that something grander, deeper and more odoriferous was in that place. Something sinister yet familiar. I decided to dig deeper.
My agent told me that paying money to Kolo and indeed, his “Oga Madam” is a way of life. That the money is shared around, and that a share must be sent to Abuja for the Controller-General. He said that I was lucky to be billed only half a million.
I confronted Kolo about the sleaze. He told me to rather focus on my car, than think about how much I spent! Few hours after, I was told that the rates for clearing cars have been adjusted by the new government of President Buhari; that my car cannot come out again.
In astonishment, I went to Oga Madam. She told me to go look for another N2.8 million Naira to clear the car; that the code that was used to make my earlier payment to customs in Skye Bank was no longer valid since customs had upgraded the system! She was very audacious. Very commanding. Very haughty. Very in-charge. There was something fundamentally not ok with that woman. I continued to dig!
I was told that she is an “untouchable” within the customs system. I was told the even the Controller-General is afraid of Mrs. Talatu. I was told that her roots penetrate very deep; that she was planted by IBB and that everybody in the system, including the CGC is afraid of Talatu. She draws her power from the forces of darkness that have held this country to its knees since 1960. She is the law. She determines what you pay for what import.

I had to cry to Berekete Family Radio Programme in Love FM - Abuja; originate petitions to “ogas at the top”, etc. for the car to be released with a very huge bil for demurrage. I learnt my lessons and have lived with the trauma unto this day.
Nigeria Customs Service stinks to high heavens. This is the reason I applaud President Buhari for appointing a no-nonsense Colonel Ali into the Customs Service. He needs to use a very big broom to sweep the service very fast. Too many extremely corrupt fat cats to weed out. Too many entrenched interests. Too many vested interests. Too many decades of decay. My experience with the Customs completely destroyed my faith in the ability of our country to ever get better. I hope Ali proves me wrong.

U na john.

celemel:
Corruption. That canker-worm has burrowed a comfortable home in the main fabric of the Nigerian Customs Service. You feel it everywhere you turn. It stares you in the face. It is so present; so visceral, so real. It stands next to you. It is by your side. It is everywhere. It is a way of life. It is the blood of the agency. It is all that the service represents. I used to think that the Nigeria Police Force is deep in the art, until my recent experience unraveled the stench that oozes from the bowels of this modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.
It all started in April this year, when a relation of mine decided to import a used car from the United States. He contacted me, an “omo Eko”, to be his “ears and eyes” to get the vehicle cleared from Tin Can Island Port through a clearing and forwarding agent. I quickly contacted an agent, upon recommendation by another friend. He “shocked” me by saying that clearing a used car from Tin Can Island Port is akin to passing the proverbial camel through the needle’s eye. He estimated that I may spend as much as the cost of the car in the port before I can lay hands on it. I thought it was a joke.
I handed the Bill of Lading to him to start processing. He reported back the next day that the Customs demanded for N0.5 million before they can “value” the car, else I would have to pay more than N 7,000,000.00 to clear! I was alarmed and I resisted.
After 2 weeks of back and forth, I decided to visit the port myself. I hitched a SeaCoaster boat ride across the Lagos Lagoon and in 5 minutes, I was face-to-face with barefaced corruption. Impunity beyond belief. I was tossed around like a yoyo, until I finally got to the office of one Mr. Kolo Baba Jiiyah, the PA to the Controller for Tin Can Port, Mrs. Talatu. His office is tucked in the inner recesses of the Customs compound in Tin Can. Seated on a desk by his corner is a full-size framed photograph of Talatu, an obviously overfed bulky woman, struggling between a bulging tummy and the demands of her “salute” posture, standing on an epitaph that read “African Customs Officer of the Year 2013”. The drapes that formed the backdrop obviously depicted the colors of Ghana, where the "award" was handed. This much was confirmed by the next statement: “award given in Accra, Ghana blablabla…”. While I scanned the office, Mr. Kolo was busy on the phone, negotiating with someone on the other side about “money for madam” and the other stakeholders, and the one that must go to Abuja. The phone call dragged on and on, until another customs lady came in to toss a bulging envelope to Kolo. He dropped the call, took a look and the envelope and asked how much. The woman replied 3M. He smiled, opened his steel cabinet and tossed it in. He said the amount was less than they negotiated and the customs woman replied that the man said he ran out of cash completely!And I waited.
It went past 1 hour after I arrived when he spoke to me. His tone was commanding. I should get out of his office and look for money to clear my car. He referred me to “valuation” - a unit in the agency, across the road where arbitrary values are placed on imported whares. I got there sharply. It is a reprehensible sight of commotion, confusion, chaos and disorganization. Hundreds of rowdy men and women loiter around the vicinity, wheeling and dealing. Most of them, from the Eastern side of our dear country. Money was changing hands in quick succession. People were literally standing on their heads to scramble for valuation papers. I sauntered into the Valuation Officer's dingy office, clutching unto my car papers. He momentarily looked at me, and requested that I wait outside. After about an hour, I intruded into his office space aain and demanded that I be attended to. The valuation man referred me back to Kolo with a caveat that only Kolo is responsible for cars that were made from 2014 upwards. That was how the day ended.
Another two weeks after, the agent came with a paper stating that customs insisted I must send N 4 million and the corresponding N.05 million for officers. In frustration, I sent the money. The agent went to get the car but brought a Skye Bank Teller that read N3,200,000.00 paid in favor of the Nigeria Customs Service! I instantly knew that I had been swindled. And I would not take it. The car did not come out either. So, I returned to Tin Can Island. Whodunit?
I connected with my agent again and demanded that he shows me the man that he handed over half a million Naira to! He took me to Kolo. Kolo again? It crossed my mind that I actually complained to Kolo in my earlier visit that someone in the Customs Service, was demanding for money to clear my car. I expected that he would “do something” about it. I never knew that he was the actual culprit! I sensed that something grander, deeper and more odoriferous was in that place. Something sinister yet familiar. I decided to dig deeper.
My agent told me that paying money to Kolo and indeed, his “Oga Madam” is a way of life. That the money is shared around, and that a share must be sent to Abuja for the Controller-General. He said that I was lucky to be billed only half a million.
I confronted Kolo about the sleaze. He told me to rather focus on my car, than think about how much I spent! Few hours after, I was told that the rates for clearing cars have been adjusted by the new government of President Buhari; that my car cannot come out again.
In astonishment, I went to Oga Madam. She told me to go look for another N2.8 million Naira to clear the car; that the code that was used to make my earlier payment to customs in Skye Bank was no longer valid since customs had upgraded the system! She was very audacious. Very commanding. Very haughty. Very in-charge. There was something fundamentally not ok with that woman. I continued to dig!
I was told that she is an “untouchable” within the customs system. I was told the even the Controller-General is afraid of Mrs. Talatu. I was told that her roots penetrate very deep; that she was planted by IBB and that everybody in the system, including the CGC is afraid of Talatu. She draws her power from the forces of darkness that have held this country to its knees since 1960. She is the law. She determines what you pay for what import.

I had to cry to Berekete Family Radio Programme in Love FM - Abuja; originate petitions to “ogas at the top”, etc. for the car to be released with a very huge bil for demurrage. I learnt my lessons and have lived with the trauma unto this day.
Nigeria Customs Service stinks to high heavens. This is the reason I applaud President Buhari for appointing a no-nonsense Colonel Ali into the Customs Service. He needs to use a very big broom to sweep the service very fast. Too many extremely corrupt fat cats to weed out. Too many entrenched interests. Too many vested interests. Too many decades of decay. My experience with the Customs completely destroyed my faith in the ability of our country to ever get better. I hope Ali proves me wrong.

Take heart Brother. The NCS as it operates now is like one big extortion ring. like the Mafia. only they determine what is right. Even if you declare your true value and you pay the correct duties, and it is clearly seen, you Will still have to settle just as if you underpay or under declare otherwise you will be referred to their Valuation or Investigation unit or to the different illegal task force set up for extortion. All in the guise of scrutinized your transaction. This leads to time wasting and high demmurrage which you can't afford. You will be forced with no choice than to settle with them to let your goods go This is quite unlike in the time past where you only negotiate and settle when you have a short payment.

hedonistic:
The Nigerian Customs Service is not more corrupt than any other institution in the country. The Army, Police, NPA, Pilgrims Board, and other institutions are equally corrupt.

The only thing is that corruption is always relative to the amount available to steal. The Customs Service is exposed to a lot of opportunities for enrichment, that explains why it is such a lucrative job with a high corruption perception level.

If you agree with the appointment of an outsider to head the Customs, then you should also see nothing wrong in the appointment of a retired police or immigration officer as the Chief of Army Staff. I think Ali's appointment is ridiculous and unjustifiable. Buhari is taking us back to the dark days of Military rule when such arbitrary and anomalous appointments were commonplace.

Its the right thing to do bros. Only a strong hand can handle those thieving bastards. 95% of custom officials are suppose to be in jail forever. Their organisation culture is akin to corruption. And please the Nigerian custom's service is a paramillitary organisation and as such even a civilian can be put at the helms of affairs.
Custom officer's that are also products of this corrupt organisation mentality have been tested without any results. Pmb is trying to do something new. We are in a season of change and as such I see nothing abnormal about this appointment.

C for corruption, C for customs but not everyone is corrupt maybe most.