OWERRI CUSTOMS EXTORTION: CG OF CUSTOMS & ALL STAKE HOLDERS MUST ACT NOW
People of Imo State are grasping with the new face of the Nigeria Custom Service in Imo State. The Imo State Customs and Exercise have introduced open extortion of motorists especially those plying Onitsha - Owerri road.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) as a matter of urgency investigate his officers who have become so wild and weird in carrying out their duties. There is a growing tension arising from this reckless scam and extorting of motorists in Imo State the Customs officers.
The presence of the Customs officers on Imo State roads is in my opinion an abuse of responsibility with the sole aim of exploiting motorists in the state. Imo State is not a boarder State, has no International Cargo airport/seaport and has no factories and allied industries that need the attention of the officers. It therefore bewilders one on the rational of having this huge presence of customs officers in Imo State.
If this is the change that the president and APC, promised Imolites, they must brace up for an appropriate actions from the people. The sensibilities of Imo State people is being trampled upon more because the reckless architect of this extortion of motorists is a certain senior officer from the northern extract. This is the most sensitive aspect of this scam because it invokes the sentiment of Hausa Fulani versus the Igbos.
This writer experienced the extortionist Customs officers on the 7th of September 2016 after Eziama Obiato, about 8 kilometers to Owerri city, along Onitsha - Owerri road. As they stopped me, they requested for the car papers which I obliged them. Minutes later, they came back to tell me that they were not sure if a "0" indicated in the documents is real. They claim that it looks like "8" . This is because the model of my car is a "300" series of the car brand. The poor eyesight of the officer has amounted to an offense which I was asked to pay N5,000.00 or pay triple on getting to their office behind CocaCola factory in Owerri. It was like a joke till they took my car to their office and now demanded for N20,000.00. At their office, I was hinted by one of the junior officers that: "our Hausa Oga no care wetin you fit do because na the thing he say make we dey do every day". An encounter that began around 3:00 p.m. lasted till about 9:00 p.m after I rallied round to pay the money without any receipt issued to me. While at the office, I saw so many other motorists with the same predicament.
Many abandoned their vehicles as they could not come up with the demand.
At their wretched looking office without light, one could find sea of vehicles abandoned by their owners dotting the whole area. None of the officers wear a name tag. My attempts to get the phone number and name of their "Oga" was rebuffed by the officers on suspecting that my request may not be intended for good .
I want to use this medium to call on Imo State government, the Federal government and the high Command of the Nigeria Custom Service to investigate the illegal activities of these officers to prevent the impending confrontation, resistance and possible far reaching consequence of their illegal actions.