In a rare display of patriotism, officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Command have rejected N1.5m brine offered by suspected railway track vandals.
Making this known at a press conference in Sokoto on Wednesday, Comptroller of Customs, Sokoto/Zamfara Commands, Kamal Muhammed, said his men clamped down on a notorious cartel that specializes on the vandalisation of railway tracks alongside a truck conveying a 20-foot container laden with vandalized railway tracks on the 8th of June this year.
Kamal, who said that on interrogation, the suspects could not tender evidence of allocation from the Federal Ministry of Transport, stated that the suspects made an overture to bribe the officers with N1.5m and gave advance cash offer of N300, 000.
He added that three other suspects were also intercepted by the command’s monitoring team at Kajiji along Kebbi Road.
He said, “Out of patriotism and integrity, the officers chose the path of honour by detaining them at the command headquarters.
“As we are all aware, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence is the agency mandated to secure critical national assets, conforming with the collaboration policy thrust of the CGC, the Area Command will hand over the suspects, the truck, and its content and the N300,000cash to the Commander NSCDC Sokoto Command who is here with us for further investigation and prosecution”
Comptroller Kamal further noted that, in compliance with the orders of the Comptroller General of Customs to seal up routes used by smugglers, officers of the whirlwind tactical team intercepted 11,270 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) being transported outside the shores of the country.
He said, “In compliance with the Comptroller General of Customs marching order to seal up all routes used for the smuggling of petroleum products, the Zone ” B” whirlwind tactical team with reinforcement by Officers and men of Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command intercepted 11, 270litrea of Premium Motor Spirit popularly called petrol.
“The maritime and cross border smuggling of PMS hurts the overall supply chain of the product in addition to the possibility of funding of criminal activities with the proceeds.
“Even with the removal of subsidy, the smuggling of PMS brings about extra cost burden on the country both in terms of security of supply and securing of the scarce foreign exchange used to import the product.”
Comptroller Kamal however assured that the command will auction 11,270 litres of Petrol at the rate of N180 per litre to the general public in Sokoto.
He said, “In line with the extant laws and the approval by the Comptroller General of Customs, the seized PMS will be auctioned to the general public today at a token of N180 per litre”.
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