By Stephen Ubanna
Between May 2021 and late S eptember, Chedi Dalha Wada, a Deputy Comptroller, overseeing Katsina Customs Command, President Muhammadu Bihari, a retired army General, home state, and his officers, were said to have done everything within their capacity to clip the wings of smugglers operating between the neighbouring West African countries of Benin Republic, Niger and Nigeria.
Note that the West African country of Niger is a land-locked country whose importers with their agents take delivery of their transit cargoes from the Autonomous port of Benin, Cotonou and Bollore port the two seaports in Benin Republic. Unfortunately, most of the Niger-bound transit cargoes, had developed wings while passing through the Nigeria corridor, thus giving the Customs Interventionist units in the state, particular,: Katsina Command, a Cause for concern.
Hameed Ali, a retired army Colonel, and Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, may have known that there are too many illegal routes between Nigeria and Niger, through which Contraband, particular,Foreign par boiled and Afgric. rice produced , from the Asian countries of Thailand and India respectively, and other third party manufactured goods were smuggled into the country unhindered.
Recall that the Katsina state born Nigerian President had banned the importation o Foreign rice and vehicles into the country through the Land borders across the country with the neighbouring countries of Benin, Niger and the Central African country of Cameroon on January 1, 2017. This may have encouraged Wada, the Katsina acting Comptroller from the onset to read the riot Act to the smugglers operating between the two West African countries to turn a new leaf or be ready to face the Consequences of losing both their goods and cash to the government. He may have known that that there is no way the Command could win the anti-smuggling in the state without the support of the people.
As a prelude to getting the support of the Monarchs, village heads and Youths in the border Communities to join hands with the Customs personnel in bringing the activities of the economic saboteurs in the Nigerian President home state, to a halt, the Customs Comptroller had visited Kogolam, Mai ‘Adua Zanjo a, Kuta, and other notorious border Communities because of the incessant attacks on Customs personnel carrying out their Legitimate duties in the state.
The Customs acting Comptroller who could not hide his feelings had used the opportunity of the visits to the Border Communities that had been identified as hotbeds for smugglers to solicit for the support of the Monarchs, village heads and the Youths to the Customs anti-smuggling Campaigns by providing credible information but would help the officers locate the hideout off the smugglers but that was how far he could go.
The visit to these border Communities and the information gathered from the people may have informed why he went back to the drawing board and finally came out with the idea of the Customs-Community Consultative Forum, CCCF, in the state to share experinces. The Forum had held sensitisation programmes in Jibia, Kolam, and BabbanMutum Outstations, describesd as a ‘‘huge success’’.
The success achieved in the previous Forum meetings in these other Borer Communities may have encouraged the Customs acting Comptroller and his Management Team, to organise a larger CCF, meeting at the Command Headquarters in Katsina, the state Capital. That much was confirmed by the Customs boss.
On Monday, October 11, 2021, a determined Wada and his Management Team, held an interactive meeting with stakeholders in the north west state to chart a way forward in curbing smuggling activities in the Buhari home state. The meeting was said to have been widely publicised as invitations were said too have been sent out to various stake holders including top government Functionaries and the Monarchs.
.Given the importance attached to the CCCF, meeting, Abdulmumini Usman, Emir of Katsina and Umar Faruk Umar, Emir of Daura, the retired army General, Emirate Council, were said to have sent Representatives . The Emir of Katsina, was said to have been represented by Lawal Idris Bangiwa, a retired Assistant Comptroller General of CustomHakimin Mai’adua.
Usman Bello Kankara, Kanwan Katsina a retired Comptroller of Customs and incidentally the District Head of Ketare, and the Grand Patron of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Katsina state, Chapter, who has always identified with the activities Customs in the state and Ibrahim Muhammad, the Special Adviser on security matters to Bello Masari, a former Speaker of House of Representatives and the governor of the state were also at the meeting. The Security Adviser may have been at the all –important CCCF, meeting at the instance of the governor.
Sanusi Buba, the state Commissioner was said to have sent a Representative to the meeting. Even Border Community Leaders, Traders Associations, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Civil Societies Organisations , Palm Date/Tiger Nuts Associations, District Heads and Religious Leaders were at the meeting to air their views.
An elated Wada had said that ‘’the purpose of the CCCF, meeting was to strengthen the existing cordial relationship between the service and the stakeholders, to educate the general public on Customs processes and procedures, Role of Customs on trade facilitation, and Compliance’’. This is in addition to the service role in securing the borders against the proliferation of light arms and drugs in the state.
An eyewitness account confirmed that the meeting attracted meaningful contributions from the stakeholders. They were said to be unanimous in their observation that the social media have triggered the strained relationship between the general public and the Customs personnel, who were supposed to be their friend.
They were said to have cited several cases including the most recent where Border Drills sector 4, under the close watch of Comptroller Aliyu Mohammed Patrol Team vehicle failed break and killed eight people on August 9, 2021, while pursuing smugglers whose vehicles were loaded with foreign rice which was escalated by the social media, thus turning the public against the Customs personnel in the state.
The hostility of the people against the Border Drills sector 4, which influence extends to other north western states of Kaduna,, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, home of the bandits, personnel may have forced the adhoc Team officer to lie low with their branded vehicles.
It took the intervention of Masari, the state governor and Ali, the Customs Comptroller who had mandated ACG Muhammed Uba Garba, NCS, Zonal Coordinator, Kaduna, to bring the situation under control.
The VIPs at the CCF meeting had commended the Katsina Command acting Comptroller for taking the bold initiative ‘’to organise the meeting’’. First to speak was Muhammad, the Aide to the governor on security matters. He may have spoken the mind of the governor when he commended the Customs Comptroller and his men for ‘’supporting the state government in the war against Banditry in the state’’.
The Representatives of the Emirs of Katsina and Daura, who had appreciated the invitation extended to them were said to have promised to educate their subjects on the need to comply with Customs processes and procedures to avoid running into trouble with Customs personnel at the checkpoints or Patrol Teams on the road that may lead to losing their goods which will inflict more pain on them.
Abdullahi Yamadi, the Representatives of the Civil societies at the CCCF meeting may have dropped a bombshell when he complained about multiple checkpoints along the Katsina-Jibia road, which he described as extortion centres, stressing that the officers and other security agencies personnel, particular, the Force, use under age boys as Camp boys to extort road users.
In apparent response to the allegations of extortion of road users along the Katina-Jibia road, and use of under-aged as Camp boys to extort money, leveled against the officers may have drawn the anger of the Katsina Command acting Comptroller who enjoined the people ‘’to always report any misconduct by his officers at checkpoints or any of the Patrol Teams officers seen collecting money from road users to him for disciplinary action. ‘’The service would not condone any act of indiscipline’’, he insists.
Ali, the Customs Comptroller General, in his goodwill message to the CCCF meeting, had ‘’commended the efforts of acting Comptroller Wada and his officers in tackling smuggling in the Katsina sate’’. He was said to have recommended more TV and Radio Enlightenment programmes to further sensitise the people on the dangers of smuggling, which he believes would go a long way ‘‘to enhance progress of the Command on its mandate’’.
The Customs Comptroller General may have made the recommendations with hope to support the Command with Funds to carry out such Enlightenment Campaigns on the TV and Radio Stations, which many believe is fund consuming and the Command may not have such money to do it.
Using one stone to kill two birds, the Katsina Customs Comptroller, may have used the opportunity of the meeting to open the Government warehouse to show case the Contraband and vehicles that had been intercepted and seized from the smugglers in the last one month worth over n80 million.
A document made available to the Magazine by Danbaba Isah, a Deputy Superintendent and the Command spokesperson, shows that the Command made a seizure of 184 bags of rice of 50Kg each and an additional three bags of 25 Kg each,seven bags of tiger nuts, two cartons of Mdicaments, 29 cartons of ForeignMacaroni, 549 cartons of Foreign Spaghetti, 24 Jerry cans oof Vegeable oil of 25 litres each, 236 packs of Foreign black tea and 84 Jerry can of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular,Petrol of 25 litres each.This is in addition to 14 motorcycles, 205 sub chargers, 350 bags of Beans,and 11 vehicles.
The drop in Contraband and Vehicles seizures in the state is an indication that acting Comptroller Wada and his officers are gradually winning the anti-smuggling war in Katsina state.
