₦airaland Forum

Senate On Vengeance After Nigerian Customs Seized Senator Saraki’s Bulletproof Range Rover Over Fake Documents


SaharaReporters has learned that the Nigerian Senate’s current war against the leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service has its roots in the fact that Customs officials seized a bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) owned by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Our investigators discovered that Nigerian Customs officers in Lagos had on January 11, 2017 intercepted and impounded a Range Rover SUV which carried documents that claimed its chassis number was “SALGV3TF3EA190243.” Customs sources told our correspondent that the value of the car was N298 million, which meant that customs duty of N74 million should have been paid on the car.

At the interception of the car, its driver claimed that the vehicle belonged to the Senate President and presented a letter from the National Assembly liaison office in Lagos, indicating that the driver of the luxury vehicle was authorized to drive the Senate President’s official Range Rover bulletproof car.

Our sources disclosed that when asked to show evidence of duty payment and an end-user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser—a document required for bulletproof vehicles—the driver presented documents that were found to be fake. The reportedly fake documents provided by the driver indicated that a measly customs duty of N8 million was paid on the car. Customs officials said that, apart from the fact the customs duty was extremely low, they also determined that the presented document itself was fake. They consequently seized the vehicle.

Later the same day, January 17, 2017, the Senate sent a letter signed by one Architect O.A. Ojo acting as the Secretary of Procurement, Estate and Works of the national Assembly, requesting the release of the vehicle, which he claimed belonged to the convoy of the Senate President. In its response, the Nigerian Customs sent a letter signed by its Othman, A.S. Comptroller, Import and Export, the letter dated January 24 2017, again requested for the end user certificate as well as evidence of proper clearance before the vehicle could be released. Neither Mr. Saraki nor the National Assembly provided the required documents.

Investigations by SaharaReporters showed that the documents used by Mr. Saraki and the National Assembly to clear the car impounded by the Nigerian Customs did not belong to the vehicle. In addition, Senator Saraki and the National Assembly apparently undervalued the car by more than 50% to enable them to avoid paying proper customs duty. When our investigators checked on the website of Range Rover, they discovered that the vehicle whose paperwork was being used to drive the impounded car from Lagos to Abuja was a grey-colored car manufactured in the UK in 2014. The price tag on that car was $142,000, but the importer gave the value as $64,516. The exchange rate at the time of car importation was N155 to $1.

Shortly after the seizure of the car, the Nigerian Senate mounted a vigorous attack on the Nigerian Customs Service, demanding that the agency stops any further efforts to confiscate vehicles found to have evaded payment of duties. The senators also summoned the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, to appear before the Senate. In the letter of invitation, the senators specified that Mr. Ali, a retired Army Colonel, must wear the official Customs uniform when he appeared before them. Mr. Ali has so far refused to heed the order to wear the Customs uniform. Impounded Senate Range Rover Side Sahara Reporters Media Impounded Senate Range Rover Sahara Reporters Media

Customs sources told SaharaReporters that the shady practice of importing vehicles meant for personal use with fake documents was widespread among Nigerian public officials, especially senators. The sources suggested that the attempt by Mr. Ali to check the practice had provoked the ferocious attacks against the Customs Service and its leadership. “Some highly placed Nigerians have for many years been evading the payment of proper duties on their imported luxury cars. They want to continue to get away with their habit which denies Nigerians a lot of revenues,” a senior official of the Customs Service claimed.

The Senate has forced Mr. Ali and the Nigerian Customs to suspend the policy of checking automobiles to ensure compliance with appropriate levels of duty. The senators’ stance has been popular with Nigerians who view the Customs as a pest on businessmen and women. However, our investigative findings also expose the fact that the attacks on the Customs have been inspired, and often led, by high profile Nigerians implicated in the use of fake customs papers to import cars and other luxury items into the country.

Junior66:
I feel it is risky mentioning the places and people involved. Whoever can get me in touch with a reputable media like Sahara reporters would have done well.

How Apostle Suleman Bought Real Estate For Nollywood Actress Daniella Okeke In Lagos


Saharareporters has confirmed from multiple sources that the house in front of which curvy Nollywood actress Daniella Okeke last year showcased on Instagram a Mercedes-Benz GL450 was, like the car, purchased for her by the controversial pastor.

After buying it for N40m, the controversial ‘Man of God’ then spruced it up with N120million before handing it over to Ms. Okeke, who is one of the women romantically linked with him.

The property, which has two duplexes, is located on Alabi Street, off Okey Okeke Drive in Arowojobe Estate in the Mende-Maryland area of Lagos. It was initially owned by fashion designer Adedayo David Eweje, who owns fashion company “David Wej.”

Saharareporters reached out to Mr. Eweje who admitted selling the duplex before 2013 but claimed he didn’t know to whom the house was sold or who the present occupant is. He said the transaction was handled by his lawyers, who are also in possession of the paperwork. Our sources, however, insisted Mr. Eweje was definitely aware that the front duplex was purchased by Apostle Suleman, as they did meet several times before the deal was completed.

Our reporters visited the house yesterday but attempt to speak with the occupants were unfruitful as no one answered the door. When we attempted to get back in there early today, security at the entrance of the estate had been beefed up significantly, obviously to ward off media interest in the area. Security men stationed at the gate of the Arowojobe Estate location of the house said the only way to gain access is to get the occupant to fetch you from the gate. See also

SaharaReporters revealed yesterday that the Mercedes-Benz car displayed by the actress was registered to Apostle Suleman. Shortly after we revealed that a Lagos State Motor Vehicle Registry had inadvertently revealed that Suleman registered the vehicle, the state-owned website curiously tried to scrub Apostle Suleman’s name off the website as the owner, but the original story was retrieved through a web archive search, which clearly maintained the ownership record of the car.

Following the latest revelations in the public domain, Apostle Suleman has declared that he is taking the battle of his exposed infidelity to a “spiritual” realm.

In a statement through Phrank Shuaibu, his spokesperson, the pastor asked members of his church to desist from engaging in a media war. This ceasefire is in stark difference to a fiery message he gave last Friday asking his followers to unfriend anyone on Facebook who might have a negative opinion about him. At that time, he also urged his church management to remove from its employment anyone caught sharing on social media any stories about his sex scandals.

Saharareporters learnt that Apostle Suleman left Nigeria last night for Washington DC where he is billed to address a crusade for three days.

The Suleman sex scandal became public two weeks ago when he colluded with some federal police officers to arrest a Canadian-based musician, Stephanie Otobo, with whom he had a romantic relationship. As soon as Saharareporters broke this story, the police hurriedly filed terrorism and blackmail charges against Ms. Otobo, entangling her in a protracted legal imbroglio that stalled her bail from prison for three days.

When she regained freedom, Ms. Otobo took the time to explain in detail her sexual encounters with Apostle Suleman, detailing how the controversial pastor funded her lifestyle, including flying her to the United States, Europe, and Nigeria for sex, and promised to marry her.

summerflame:
I am offering 170