Customs denies alleged arms importation through Ogun borders



The Ogun Area one command of the Nigeria Customs Service has debunked the allegation of arms importation through the state borders.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Hammer Oloyeyde, the command described the allegations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State chapter and the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) as malicious.

The command stated that there has never be a time where arms and ammunition were allowed to be smuggled into the country through Ogun State and it will not be allowed to be smuggled in whatever form.

It added that the command had since fortified the numerous illegal routes, through which contrabands are smuggled into the country, with aggressive patrols and had stepped up its anti-smuggling operations in the State to checkmate the nefarious activities of these enemies of the state.

According to him, "the command wishes to categorically debunk the allegation of Arms importation through Ogun State and hereby states that, there has never be a time where arms and ammunition are allowed to be smuggled into the country through Ogun state and it will not be allowed to be smuggled in whatever form.

"The Command had since fortified the numerous illegal routes through which contrabands are smuggled into the country with aggressive patrols and had stepped up its anti-smuggling operations in the state to checkmate the nefarious activities of these enemies of the state.

"Other allegation of Smuggling activities taking place during the daytime is only in the imagination of the fabricator of that story.

"The tightened security architecture in the state today by Customs and other security agencies will not permit smuggling of contrabands and other prohibited item at night time not to talk of during the day.

"It is on record that since the resumption of the present Area Controller, Peter Kolo, the record of our achievements in the command in both areas of revenue generation and anti-smuggling activities are being given out to the media on monthly basis in order for the public to be informed of our activities"

Oloyede added that the command has also recorded over one thousand, five hundred seizures of various contrabands and prohibited items ranging from foreign parboiled rice, foreign used vehicles, used shoes and clothing’s, tomato paste, sativa, and petroleum products made for export since the beginning of the year.

He said, "for instance, seizures of Forty-six thousand, four hundred and ninety one (46,491) bags of foreign parboiled rice were made in the Command between the moths of January 2021 to August 2021.

"About 20 suspects are currently undergoing trial for various Smuggling offenses in the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He insisted that the allegations are baseless, unfounded, mischievous, dangerously misleading and aimed at causing distraction to operations and security architecture in Ogun State and the country and should therefore be disregarded.

"We are focused in our anti-smuggling duties and remained resolute to continue with our onslaught on these enemies of the state", he stated.

Not through Ogun borders but other borders abi?

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