Customs breaking into people's properties at 1am in the morning ?
Whither democracy and the rule of law , and of common decency in this The Zoo ?

this is really unbecoming of the customs !!! if truly the goods were contraband, why didn't custom go in broad day light rather than breaking into the shops !!!. So so so WRONG of custom. #damnit

sirlop:

I just laugh at your contribution. The existing local farmers are not given any atom of encouragement by the government. People will have to survive.

for your information government has no obligations to provide subsidies for farmers but compassion, tell me how we will grow our economy if we sole rely on imported goods, shamelessly rice in this case that we can produce abundantly, and NIS is fully backed by law to confiscate smuggled contraband

it is a shame really
everyone involved should be arrested and tried for armed robbery

According to Custom spokesman, They did not break into any shop. Are they telling us that 4000+ bags of rice were outside?
The traders should just charge them to court. Nigeria is just lawless and weak. You can't try that in a developed country.

Uniformed men pushing their luck too far.
One day the food go done sha.

EazyMoh:
Let people like Peter Obi came and say this is also targeted against Ibo traders.

bros, concentrate on the issue, must you bring your hatred of the Igbo's to every thread?

HAH:


for your information government has no obligations to provide subsidies for farmers but compassion, tell me how we will grow our economy if we sole rely on imported goods, shamelessly rice in this case that we can produce abundantly, and NIS is fully backed by law to confiscate smuggled contraband

I didn't say anything about subsidy. Government has failed to provide the enabling environment for such farmers to succeed. Despite all the billions spent on power.How on earth will these farmers operate their mills with gen set? It's a terrible situation. That alone discourages investment. Come to think of it, that seized rice was cleared at the port by customs who collected bribe. Even the so called Federal patrol will take their own bribe and still release the rice. So, the whole system is in a total mess. We all know what is happening in this part of the word. As I said, Nigerians must survive.

Corrupt fellows. Very corrupt. One was begging for Chocolates from me on our way back from Benin Republic on Sunday. I was ashamed cos this is more of NPF's stock-in-trade
Dem bags of rice for booth dey no seize am na my Chocolates and drinks dey see beg. Idiots

And the drivers who helped them cart away these goods ain't Nigerians abi? See, na we dey do ourselves for this country

Feraz:
Keneking sef! Welcome back!

Nigerian military and paramilitary sef! Breaking into people's shops when everywhere is dark to confiscate goods which should have been been at the border and using soldiers as shield. This looks like a legal robbery. Why not wait to do it when people can see you?

These goods cannot enter if there's no insider among them. Man the borders well, una no gree...

ivandragon: :
as stated in the write up, the proper thing would have been to seal/post guards at the 'offending' shops & then carry out a thorough check on the alleged contrabands.

those guilty of flouting the law should then be arrested & goods seized...

Do they understand these laws? They're not the only one. See EFCC that will use red paint to deface walls of seized buildings under investigation instead of using that tape used to seal off an area.

I wonder what people will say since SE is not affected unlike last year December when they were accused of always bringing in contraband. I remember people accusing Igbos of playing the victim when customs were seizing bags of rice and extorting travellers.

Are you both quoting Nigerian Laws or another country's?

Nbote:
So d way d govt wants to force don prices of commodities is by breaking into ppl's shops and warehouses by force.. Did d traders cross d bother to steal the items or what are their crimes exactly?
1984/85 is here again..

Your question turn logic on its head. So if some brings an illegal or stolen goods to you shop and you buy it, police or custom should leave you because you did not go to steal it?

sunnyside16:
Authorities on illegal mission always look for excuses. If they rice were smuggled in, were they not through the borders? Evil people in position of authority all over Nigeria.

and why will someone willingly engage in the business of buying smuggled rice? is that legal?

effty:

Feraz: :
I remember people accusing Igbos of playing the victim when customs were seizing bags of rice and extorting travellers.

Thank for this. This is simply an illegal operations. Makes me wonder if no smuggling happens up north.

@Feraz,

You are still playing the victim mentality......

@effy,

Mr. "an illegal operations" - Which one? Is it the people selling smuggled rice or Customs seizing the goods?

sirlop:

I didn't say anything about subsidy. Government has failed to provide the enabling environment for such farmers to succeed. Despite all the billions spent on power.How on earth will these farmers operate their mills with gen set? It's a terrible situation. That alone discourages investment. Come to think of it, that seized rice was cleared at the port by customs who collected bribe. Even the so called Federal patrol will take their own bribe and still release the rice. So, the whole system is in a total mess. We all know what is happening in this part of the word. As I said, Nigerians must survive.

Yes operating in Nigeria is tough, but that doe not justify illegality, beside there is a saying that say when the road it tough, the tough gets going, Nigeria in its self is a big market and we are very enterprising, a wise business man should know how to go to ebonyi, anambra, Kebbi or Jigawa to get rice and add value to it, by the time the local rice is well sorted and packaged. Believe me it can compete and even beat the imported one so why not explore that and invest in it.

On the issue of currupt custom officers and bribe, yes lots of them are corrupt but that does not make smuggling legal, at least the raid may be a deterrent for intending smugglers.

Nigerians enjoy ur change!

HAH:
Sad seeing most comments are sympathising with smugglers economic saboteurs.
Some people are even saying why were they not informed before the seizsure or why did they come by 12am, so when coming to arrest a criminal they should inform them ba? So that they can hide whatever illegal they have, I hear una.

As read from the report even the traders themselves agreed that they are smuggled through land borders and the paid corrupt official 1k to pass so what is the fuss if upright task force confiscate it.

The traders should henceforth look inward on local rice, and how to add value to it

I guess the money they took were also confiscated ba? Breaking into shops at midnight with men wearing hoods,shooting sporadically into d air, and carting away goods isn't corruption? They stole. The Customs officials stole. Let's not try to justify what is not justifiable

Babamide:
Nigeria is the most lawless country in the world. How can custom officials assisted by soldiers start STEALING in uniforms. They overlooked their duty at border patrol to start raiding shops in the middle of the night.

Stop twisting logic. The Customs did their jobs. The soldiers provided security cover in case the custom men face resistance and are out numbered.

Customs are empowered by Law to inspect goods that have crossed the bothers and seize the contraband ones even in supermarkets. They did same during the days of Obasanjo

LarryBeryl:
Same thing happened at Gbagi market in Ibadan last week Wednesday/Thursday. If the goods are truly contraband, those traders are not justified.

Herein a rational contributor. I don't understand how people reason from their foot. We know the law, we break the law, the law takes it course and we start some needless sentimental cry. Many of the rice traders have been patronising smugglers from time immemorial. The customs are waking up to their responsibilities in a long time.

I also wonder how you want the aspiration for local production of rice to be successful if we allow smugglers to kill the business

Guyman02:

Emycord: :
They want to use it feed idp camp while someone collects money on contract from fg for thier feeding. And yet they are fighting corruption. Now its yoruba watch as everyone will condemn it but if its ipob goods then its normal

I expect Yoruba Muslims to justify this one, because if this action had happened in Onitsha they would be here to defend it

1. I am Yoruba but not a muslim.
2. Smuggling is illegal, buying smuggled goods is equally illegal regardless of whether it is Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. I support the Customs to act within the ambit of the law, even if it happens in my backyard.

so what else?

dansantus1986:
According to Custom spokesman, They did not break into any shop. Are they telling us that 4000+ bags of rice were outside?
The traders should just charge them to court. Nigeria is just lawless and weak. You can't try that in a developed country.

i wonder o, who will keep the bags of rice in the open in the middle of the night? if truly they were contraband then why not do the seizure during the day when everyone will see you and seal the affected shops, breaking into shops is burglary pure and simple.

Guyman02:


Peter Obi warned but you Yoruba Muslims condemned him for speaking out

You're simply reasoning like a classic irridentist bigot. Even Peter Obi dare not support smuggling

sunnyside16:
Authorities on illegal mission always look for excuses. If they rice were smuggled in, were they not through the borders? Evil people in position of authority all over Nigeria.

Everybody knew customs are thieves , their duty is at border only , to penetrate into cities is unethical

HAH:


Yes operating in Nigeria is tough, but that doe not justify illegality, beside there is a saying that say when the road it tough, the tough gets going, Nigeria in its self is a big market and we are very enterprising, a wise business man should know how to go to ebonyi, anambra, Kebbi or Jigawa to get rice and add value to it, by the time the local rice is well sorted and packaged. Believe me it can compete and even beat the imported one so why not explore that and invest in it.

On the issue of currupt custom officers and bribe, yes lots of them are corrupt but that does not make smuggling legal, at least the raid may be a deterrent for intending smugglers.

If you produce locally here without power, the cost of production will be too high and people can't afford your products. Y do u think companies like Dunlop and Michelin left Nigeria. In this 21st century we still can't boast of constant power supply.
It is cheaper to import than to produce in Nigeria cos of persistent power failure. Even Dangote imports rice, floor and cement. The government should fix the power sector. That's all we need. Nigerians are very enterprising. They don't expect us to perform miracles.

HAH:
Sad seeing most comments are sympathising with smugglers economic saboteurs.
Some people are even saying why were they not informed before the seizsure or why did they come by 12am, so when coming to arrest a criminal they should inform them ba? So that they can hide whatever illegal they have, I hear una.

As read from the report even the traders themselves agreed that they are smuggled through land borders and the paid corrupt official 1k to pass so what is the fuss if upright task force confiscate it.

The traders should henceforth look inward on local rice, and how to add value to it

Bros,

Welcome to the world where our value-system has been so eroded; children of today reason like lost souls

Jesusloveyou:
what the custom did is bad.
But those traders add curry to the story. Their money did not loss

There is nothing the Customs did that is not within the ambit of the law.

mapet:


Stop twisting logic. The Customs did their jobs. The soldiers provided security cover in case the custom men face resistance and are out numbered.

Customs are empowered by Law to inspect goods that have crossed the bothers and seize the contraband ones even in supermarkets. They did same during the days of Obasanjo

Do u work for the Nigerian custom service?
Let us educate each other a little. Customs are empowered at the borders, entry point route and ports. Any job they do inside a market or shop is illegal.

Lloydfather:
while their Hausa brothers are selling the same smuggled rice here in Alaba rago with confidence they go about harassing our Yoruba neighbors, in the name of smuggled rice. the day this Hausa harassing arm of government will start harassing their Hausa brothers like the do to us I will believe in one Nigeria.

You cannot stoke the fire to incite any hatred. Anybody found selling contraband should be arrested with the goods. Hausa selling smuggled rice in Alaba rago is ruse......if you are sure "whistle-blow" it to appropriate authorities

mapet:


Stop twisting logic. The Customs did their jobs. The soldiers provided security cover in case the custom men face resistance and are out numbered.

Customs are empowered by Law to inspect goods that have crossed the bothers and seize the contraband ones even in supermarkets. They did same during the days of Obasanjo

which shoddy job? so which inspection did they do at the border after allowing a truck with close to 400 bags land at the border ,inspect the contents collect the mandatory 1000 naira per checkpoint until arriving at the market? I have stayed with a custom officer in the same compound at Ibadan and believe me his wife resells all those seized items in her shop, nobody can go the shop to claim contraband after all she is a custom officers' wife na.

candy:
Shey they said we are the second largest producer of rice in the world...why not make the locally produced rice cheap and readily available? Why allow these people to bring in the rice and vegetable oil before forcefully taking the stuff from them? Is it their fault that our borders are so porous? This is why rice will keep getting expensive!

BTW, where are they selling the naija rice they keep talking about? This is so not fair on these traders. The customs officers' action is tantamount to STEALING. I'm sure their wives will start selling the rice at a cheaper rate soon, after causing pain and frustration in the lives of some people.

I don't like sentimental cries that betray logic. Madam, here below are direct answers to your questions

1. How can we make locally produced rice cheap, when the market space is allowed to be occupied by smuggled rice?
2. Why will any sincere trader, trade in smuggled items?
3. It is their fault that the border is porous as thy are part of the collaborators. An illegal act is completed by these traders, they pay bribes to corrupt customs officials, as such they are also culpable as a bribe giver

sirlop:

HAH:
Sad seeing most comments are sympathising with smugglers economic saboteurs.
Some people are even saying why were they not informed before the seizsure or why did they come by 12am, so when coming to arrest a criminal they should inform them ba? So that they can hide whatever illegal they have, I hear una.

As read from the report even the traders themselves agreed that they are smuggled through land borders and the paid corrupt official 1k to pass so what is the fuss if upright task force confiscate it.

The traders should henceforth look inward on local rice, and how to add value to it

I just laugh at your contribution. The existing local farmers are not given any atom of encouragement by the government. People will have to survive.

And so they should continue in illegal acts? @HAH, see what I mean by our eroded value-system?

mapet:


Your question turn logic on its head. So if some brings an illegal or stolen goods to you shop and you buy it, police or custom should leave you because you did not go to steal it?

Since it's illegal or stolen, why weren't d owners arrested? Make una dey use una head small na.. Isn't it d same custom dat has checkpoints at the various so called smuggling routes? Abeg leave d Internet and seek realities

tydi:



Remember onye e jide na ukwu ose bu onye ohi ose...

so they can acclaim their shops itself is missing

dont mind them.
Custom even stole their money making machine that produce 100b dollars everyday.