By Stephen Ubanna
Comptroller Musa Omale, Area Controller, Sokoto/Zamfara Command, appears to have sent a message to the unrepentant smugglers operating between Nigeria and Niger it is no longer going business as usual
Acting on the instruction of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Compt. Omale, through’’ additional layer of enforcement operations and intelligence gathering’’ at Illela, Headquaters of Illela, Local government Area in Sokoto, home state of late President Shehu Shagari, and other border Communities in Zamfara state were said to have refused to be intimated by he Bandits turned smugglers.
Compt. Omale, who had tightened up security in the Command’s area of Jurisdictions to ensure that no contraband enters into the country through any of the unapproved routes in the two north western states states. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have emboldened the NCS and other security agencies personnel to tighten up security with the border closure with Niger Republic in the northern part of the country on July 30, 2023. The Ngerian President may have directive to the NCS to further tightened up security at the northern Land border areas as a result of the military takeover in the West African country which the Leadership of the Economic Community of West African states did not find funny.
Adeniyi, the Customs Comptroller General, was said to have put a close tab on the northen Land border areas with Niger as he had was said to have paid a working visit Magamar-Jibia, a border Community between Nigeria and Niger , in Katsina, home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Customs Comptroller General, was also said to be on ground in Illela border Community in Sokoto state, where he had asked the residents of the border communities around the border town ‘’to support the NCS and other security agencies personnel ‘’ to enforce the Presidential directive s on the closure of the borders with Niger aimed at restoration of democracy and Constitutional order in Niger.
Compt.Omale had alluded to the Customs Comptroller General visist to IIIela , border Community when he disclosed that the working visit was ostensibly ‘’to ensure full scale implementation of the government border closure order with Niger Republic’’.
The Contraband seizures that was said to have been made by the Sokokoto/ Zamfara, between July 30, 2023 and Tuesday, October 31, speaks volume.. The Command, according to Compt. Omale, had intercepted a trailer load of various Contraband items including 1,800 cartons of foreign banana from Ghana, bound for the neighbouring West African country with a Duty paid Value of N17,576,392.00.The Customs Compt. Had faulted the trading of foreign banana on the rounds of the closure of the land border with Niger Republic.
An insider who spoke to The Value News on condition of anonymity disclosed that both not for the eagle eyes of the officer stationed at strategic locations by Comptroller Omale, around the IIIlela, land border area border area, the foreign banana, would have found its way into the Nigerian market.
Compt. Omale, may have taken advantage of the seizure of the 1,800 cartons of the foreign banana, bound for the Niger Republic market through Nigeria ground to warn the trading public to be careful in testing the will of the Commend enforcement officers on the road as the Patrol Team officers will not hesistate to impound their goods and turn to government owned consignment.
. He was said to have made it clear to the transborder traders that the border closure with Niger Republic is still in force’’, urging the traders ‘’to exercise patience until such a time that the crisis between the Leadership of ECOWAS , and the Niger military junta would be resolved.
Recall that the Customs Comptroller General , had told residents of Illela, and the other border Communities visited in Katsina and Kebbi ‘’ to monitor the compliance of the government border closure directive that Nigeria want to benefit from international Trade and will continue to promote trade between all member states of the ECOWAS.
