Customs may drag Elumelu, Others to the EFCC

Godwin Ndudi Elumelu
The Nigeria Customs may have threatened to drag embattled House of Representative member, Godwin Ndudi Elumelu to the Economic And Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, for failing to pay up full import duties of N23 Million for two LB 6 bullet proof cars he imported to Nigeria.

The Customs said it will henceforth not tolerate politicians who have used their position to short-change the agency by not paying up full import duties on items they import into Nigeria.

Elumelu alongside nine others had allegedly defrauded Nigeria of about N5.6 Billion from the rural electrification projects. The case is currently at the Federal High Court Abuja where he is facing a 65 count charges bordering on fraud and corruption.

Pointblanknews.com gathered that Elumelu, the former Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Power had imported two LB 6 bullet proof cars ahead of his 2011 reelection bid through the Lagos port but failed to use the appropriate channel to pay the required duties.

A source, an officer of the Nigeria Customs who does not want to be mentioned said the lawmaker had hired one of the touts at the port to clear his cars and in the process short-changed the customs.

“It took the intervention of our men who were scrutinizing the books to discover that those two cars were cleared without payment of the full import duties and we immediately raised the alarm”, the source told pointblanknews.com.

According to the source, “Elumelu is not the only one doing that, there are many other politicians who have been subverting the law, importing items into Nigeria and not paying the required import duties and such will not continue again.”

 
Sources hinted Pointblanknews.com that when the two bullet proof cars arrived the port in Nigeria, Elumelu contacted an agent who promised use his connection in the customs to clear the two cars for a paltry N300, 000.00. The Lawmaker was said to have jumped on the offer and immediately paid the sum. The two cars were cleared but when the Customs hierarchy ran through it books, they discovered that Elumelu who was supposed to pay almost N26 Million as duties defrauded the Customs.

Garba Kurfi, the Area Comptroller who was alerted about the scam according to sources immediately contacted the Comptroller General who directed that Elumelu be pursued for the balance.

Sources hinted that Elumelu has been rebuffing all moves by the Customs to collect full import duties.

The Delta state politician is currently battling with the EFCC at the court to be cleared of defrauding Nigeria of N5.6 Billion. He is also said to be battling stiff opposition back in his home state for his re-election bid on account of what source described as “his bad representation of our people at the national level.”

 


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