Ogun1: No Hiding Place For Smugglers

By Stephen Ubanna

 Not many are surprised why Compt. Bamidele Makinde , Area Controller , Ogun, 1,Command   have suddenly woken up from slumber  to block  all the illegal smugglers routes  in the border Local government Areas, lgaS, of Ogun, Olusegun Obasanjo a former Nigerian President,  home state with the neighbouring west African country of  Republic of Benin.  

 From  Ipokia, Imeko Afon, to Yewa North, LGA,  the story is the same, no breather for the smugglers. .Informed sources told The Value News that initially  when  Comp. Makinde  assumed duties at Iidiroko as the Area Controller of  the Command, on  in January 2022,  to replace Compt. Dera Nnadi, the then Area Comptroller, who was said to have  proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos , Plateau state , there was no sign that he will deliver on  the Comptroller General’s mandate

 The fear became pronounced as DC,Hussain Kehinde Ejibunu, the Area Controller of the  Federal Operations Unit, FOU,  Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, and his Patrol Team officers to come into the Commodities in the Border LGAs  to make spectacular  Cntraband seizures, including thousands o bags of Foreign Parboiled rice and go to win the heart of Hameed Ali,  a retired Army Colonel and the Customs boss as a hardworking officer. 

  A senior Customs officer who spoke to the Value News on condition of anonymity had confirmed that between October, 2022 and now, smugglers of the Foreign par boiled rice , Cannabis Sativa,   popular, Indan Hemp, grown from the West African country of Ghana and smuggled into the Nigerian market through inappropriate routes and the Creeks in the state may have realised that it is no longer business as usual.

This is because of the tight security that has been mounted around the Idiriko, , Oniro, Ita Egbe,  Ihumbo,  Oke Odan,  Ilashe, Ilaro and Ajilete Areas of the state by the Command anti-smuggling  officers who are working on the instructions of the Area Controller.

   Recall that when Compt.  Bello Jibo, now an Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, Customs Headquarters, was the Area Comptroller of Seme Command, smugglers who could not cope with the superior fire power of the Command Patrol Team Officers, Particular, the Operations Team, headed by Assistant Compt. Abubakar, Dankigari, had relocated to the Idiroko in Ipokia axis of the state to carry out their nefarious activities.

Cannabis Sativa: Ogun I, Regular Contraband Seizures

   Compt. Mankinde may have found it worrisome  as VIP .Petrol and Cannabis Sativa smugglers as well as Cannibis Sativa  smugglers   have in the state always fall into the waiting hands of Deputy Compt. Ejibunu , the  Area Controller of FOU, Zone A’s officers on the road as the Command make little or no substantial Conraband seizures.

The situations appear to have changed over the last six months, according to informed sourcs, when he eventually linked up with the anti-smuggling Czar, DC. Ahmadu Shuaibu, overseeing the Affairs of Ogun I, Command  with Headquarters in Abeokuta, the state Capital, and  who incidentally  has headed the Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force, Team A, Lagos, where he made landmark Contraband seizures, notwithstanding  the large size  FOU, zone A, and its area of coverage in the south western states of  Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo. 

He may have known that he needed  to tap on the Ogun I, Area Controller’s  experience  in anti-smuggling operations and he did not hesitate in doing so, which is now yielding results.   This is evident going by what is happening around the Seme Jurisdictions  as most  of the smugglers operating at the Idiroko axis, have relocated  to the area as they could no longer bear  Compt. Makinde  and his , Patrol Team officers’ heat in the state.

The seizure of  $6 million of the North American country of the United States  fake  dollar  at the notorious Gbaji checkpoint   and the Command interception of   six Maltese  International Passports  with the same picture  of a Lady  but bearing different names along  Gbethrome base  by Comptroller Nnadi’s men within a  few weeks in office speaks volume.

 Also the recent seizure of 537 parcels of  Cannabis Sativa , valued at about N10 million , which had remained a major smuggled drug in Ogun state, for much of last year , bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the Cannabis  Sativa smugglers  are gradually relocating to the Seme axis to continue their nefarious trade but are not finding it easy.

Compt. Makinde, may have shown that he and his anti-smuggling officers are now in total control of the border Communities in the state and not ready to give any room to other inter interventionist Units to come and make seizures  with ease  going by what the Command Patrol Team officers are doing, particular, around the Abeokuta axis.

 Note that the Abeokuta axis of the state, Used to be dominated by the FOU, Zone A, Lagos Roving, Patrol Team Officers, headed by Deputy Comptroller Jack Okpabi, then as an Assistant Comptroller, in making Contrband seizures.

 Comptroller Makinde’s Patrol Team officers may have taken  over control of the Area as there is  hardly a week when the Ogun II, Patrol Team officers would not transfer one truck load of contraband items or a branded Company truck concealed with Contraband items  to the Ogun I, premises  to be deposited in the Government Warehouse. The Ogun I, Command may not have had any need for the Government Warehouse as it has nothing to do with anti-smuggling operations but with the Excise Factory Operators and to collect government revenue from them which it is doing very well.

While presenting the report of the Ogun I, anti-smuggling operations, between January and March, 2023, recentlya n elated Compt. Makinde, who believes that the Command Patrol Team Leaders and their members have done exceedingly well   had said that that it made a total of 181 Contraband seizures which include 12,610, bags of Foreign parboiled rice of 50 Kg each, 77,000 litres of Petrol, which are equivalent of 21 trucks load.  

The Command within the period under review, he further had intercepted and seized 446 cartons of imported Cigarettes that were said to have been labelled and addressed the Asian country of China’s   language contrary to the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, Cap. 2004 and the 2023, Fiscal policy.

There is no gain saying the fact that the   Customs Comptroller, may have kept ‘’to his promise  and commitment ‘’to intensify more efforts  in making  the border Communities between Nigeria and Benin Republic , in the state  a safer place for, the business Community by strengthening  and sustaining the  existing synergy   with other sister agencies.

 Many believe the cordial   working relationship with the border Communities, particular, the Youths who are used to aiding and abetting the smugglers may have turned things around for the Command, this time around as they give out information freely.

 The conduct of the Command Patrol Teams officers on the road and those at the checkpoints at the various locations in the state gives an insight to the Area Controller’s policy of ‘’no Comprmise ‘’as no officer wants to play into the Comptroller’s hand  to face the disciplinary Committee. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *