By Olubunmi ISOKPEHI, Lagos
In a recent shooting that happened between a custom officer of the Federal Operation Unit and a freight forwarder named Adeyemi Quadri , which occurred along apapa mile2 express way on the 17th of March this year, has beefed up more incitement as Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has come out to defend its own, says the Nigerian Customs Service are attempting to cover up the incident.
Briefing journalist on what transpired, The Vice President of ANLCA, Kayode Farinto, made the assertion in his office at Apapa, adding, he is bound as a senior stakeholder in the industry and in his personal capacity as a licensed customs broker to speak up and expose the customs for rebuffing all his efforts to settle the matter amicably.
According to Farinto, “I read the statement made by DC Attah, the National PRO of Customs on the unfortunate incident at Mile Two where one of our members was shot and I can say that he goofed.”
”He goofed in the sense that his statement was misleading Nigerians to believe that what happened at mile two was as a result of miscreants who attempted to take the gun of the officer.”
“I challenge him to provide the proof of his allegations.”
As a stakeholder and genuine agent, the onus is on me to let the world know the true position of the incident.
He narrated further, “What happened was that a customs agent, having followed the due process of a clearance procedure, applied for valuation on 2019 RAV4 Toyota model and the vehicle was valued at over $12,000 with the surface duty of N1.7 million and other charges which amounted to N2.345million, which he duly paid.”
‘He continued, “After this, the vehicle was duly released and he took delivery of it and drove it out of the port.”
‘’At a point along the Mile two road, he was accosted in a commando-style by one of the members of the roving team of FOU.One of the team members, whom we suspected was not in a stable mind, shot the agent.”
Adding, “This will take me to the issue of who is a customs broker. Section 150 of CEMA empowers the Customs board to register us as clearing firms, but we can delegate functions and duties to our staff.”
He asserted, “This was what happened to the agent who was shot.He was working with a licensed Customs brokerage firm and that made him a genuine customs broker unlike what Attah wanted the world to know.”
‘’But instead of Customs to come openly and apologise that what happened was a mistake, what they now did was to label him as miscreant and tout who is not a freight forwarder.This was an attempt to call a dog a bad name before they hang him, but I disagree and challenge Attah to prove it”.
He cited, “Under CEMA, there is what is called precarious liability which means that whatever any of the staff does, the owner of the license under whom the staff operates will be held liable.This particular staff paid all the duty accrued to the government.”
He declared, “We shall not accept the attempt by the Customs to label the agent as a miscreant”,
He further said, “From our own investigations, we found out that this particular officer has been living on psychotropic substance.”
Adding that, “You recalled one junior officer sometime ago who declared himself as the CGC. This incident has been hushed up.I challenge the Customs to bring out the officer who shot our colleague and subject him to psychiatric analysis and clinical examination.”
He revealed, “Nigerians will be surprised at the level of psychotropic substance in his system.When the agent was shot, this particular officer was even threatening to give him water so he could die.”
”There is no sensible officer with weapon who will say that. We are not at war.”
“I am challenging the Customs to parade this officer and subject him to necessary examination to determine his state of mind.”
‘‘This brings me to the disturbing issue of the state of mind of some of these Customs officers with guns”,
Farinto pointed out, and appeal to the general public, especially the civil society groups, to rise up and help the wounded Customs broker get justice.”
Speaking with GLOBAL RAYS correspondent on phone, the Public Relations Officer, DC Joseph Attah swiftly responded to the situation.
According to Attah, “Our position remains the same, we are not trading words with him.”
He emphasized that, “Customs have said he’s not a licensed agent, even if he his a licensed agent, he’s not supposed to mobilize people to collect the vehicle back by force.”
Attah said, “The Customs officer that is in uniform and armed by the federal government to go and work is doing it in the interest of the nation.”
Adding, “He has a right to stop and intercept the vehicle, even if he had intercepted and you have any reason not to intercept your vehicle, you follow them to the station and prove your case, that’s the proper thing to do and not mobilize thugs on the road to stop the custom officer and collect your vehicle by force.”
Attah commended the officer for being professional in the discharge of his duty, his words, “The officer needs to be commended, if he is not well trained in weapon handling we will have been talking of lots of life. He really handled the situation professionally.”
“How can you confront an armed person? He his doing his job.
The car was collected from him, all he has to do was to follow them to the station and prove himself, while the vehicle was in the station, it was found in the system that deficit of 3.5 million was on ground. This has proved him wrong already.”
Attah concluded, “This is not a case of bribery, it is plain and fair . They have raised a DM of 3.5million he should go and pay.”
