By Stephen Ubanna
Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu, Comptroller, Ogun I, Idiroko, Command, has every reason to be happy. This is because of what Clement Amaweh, an Assistant Comptroller, overseeing Ohunbe outstation, which is a border community between Nigeria and the neighbouring Republic, inherited from the previous Administration of Compt. James Ojo,rtd, and his officers are doing to checkmate the activities of the smugglers.
AC. Amaweh, according to a senior officer who spoke to the Value News online Magazine on condition of anonymity had confirmed that the Customs Assistant Comptroller had used experience and expertise in the field over the years to clip the wings of the smugglers who had turned the border Communities Yewa North and South, local governments Area of Ogun, home state of former President Obasanjo as their base.
It was gathered that ever since AC. Amaweh, was deployed to the Ohunbe outstation, regarded as ”Camp”, in Customs circles, some two years ago or thereabout, to oversee the anti-smuggling operations in the area and its environs including Ilaro, the smuggling situation appears to have reduced drastically.
This is because AC. Amaweh, on several occasions was said to have led a patrol Team that had taken the anti-smuggling war to the smugglers’ forests hideouts forcing many of them to abandon the nefarious trade to embrace Legitimate trade.
Note that given the poor state of the roads in the border Communities around the Ohunbe axis which had made it pretty difficult for vehicles or Commercial buses to ply the border communities access roads, may have given the bike operators an edge to make 30-40 Km on a daily basis , depending on the quantity of bags of foreign rice of 50Kg, each , the bike man can transport at a a go and in total.
A resident of Ilaro, Headquarters of Yewa South local government Area, had told The Value News that the unrepentant smugglers appears to have taken advantage of the poor state of the link roads at Ilara, Oja Odan, Ohunbe, Ijale, Ijoun, Tata, Imoto, Idiori, Iselu, Ifoyintedo, ILase, Ayetoro, Ajegunlle,Eggua, Ibesse joga, Sunwa, Joga, Erinja and Owede Ilobi, to make use of their bikes for smuggling activities.
The porous state of the link roads of the border communities in Ogun, former President Olusegun Obasanjo home state, and the density nature of the south western state without river , may have given room to smugglers to transverse between Nigeria and Benin Republic with ease.
It was not surprising why smugglers who had turned the forests of Ilara and other border communities within Yewa North and Yewa South LGAs, as haven to smuggle the Asian countries of Thailand par boiled and Indian Agricultural Grain par boiled rice, Bales of second hand clothing, Foreign processed Vegetable Oil, and Pneumatic tyres are still in the illicit business.
The unrepentant smugglers were said to have also been involved in smuggling of Cannabis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp, , produced from the West African country of Ghana , arms and ammunition including Cartridges into the Nigerian Market and.
Iin return, they were said to have smuggled Kegs of 25 litres each of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, or Petrol to the Benin and neighbouring West and Central African countries markets by road or through the Creeks and waterside.
The worrisome situation of the poor state of link roads in these border Communities in the Yewa North and South LGAs, may have encouraged past and the present Area Controller of Ogun I, Command ,to deploy more patrol Team officers to Ohunbe outstation to effectively confront the smugglers who have many escape routes.
A source had confirmed that the smugglers use their motor bikes to carry two to three bags of foreign rice, 50Kg each, which are discharged in their forest hideout or rice dump at Ilara-Ogudo, which is about 50 Km, by road from Ketu , a major trading town, in neighbouring West African country of Republic f Benin, or Oja Odan, awaiting for the buyers from Sango Ota or Lagos , the nation’s Commercial nerve centre to come and evacuate the items.
There is no gain saying the fact that at present , AC. Amaweh and his officer have succeeded in restoring sanity along the Ilara -,Oja Odan,-Ilaro road and its environs that the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, and the Ogun I, Command Patrol Team officers from the Idiroko, Head office and other security agencies personnel at checkpoints appears to be idle, awaiting for the normal booking to be relevant on the road.
Until , he took the bold initiative to take the anti-smuggling war to the bie riders , turned smugglers hideouts in the forest to pick the bags of foreign par boiled foreign rice of 50Kg each in a truck from the port of Benin, Cotonou, in the bush which are usually transported ino another truck awaiting in the bush for evacuation at Ilara Ogudo, Ojo Odan, Ilaro, Owede, Atan, described as hotpots of the foreign rice and Bales of second Hand clothing clothing, the smugglers appears to be losing the market.
In spite of efforts being made by AC. Amaweh, who was said to have had the full backing of former Compt. James Ojo, the immediate past Area Controller of Ogun I, and Compt. Shuaibu, incumbent Area Controller of the Command, the activities of the smugglers which appears to have been put under control are still thriving.
The Value News online Magazine sighted some bikes carrying two to three bags of foreign par boiled rice, 50 Kg each . coming from the Ilara Ogudo link road to Oja Odan to discharge at an undisclosed location.
A taxi driver plying Ilaro – Oja Odan, Community had told The Value News that for AC. Awaweh, who is doing everything to contain the activities to succeed he need to put a close tab on his officers on the road who were said to have been compromised.
The people may have taken advantage of the soft landing given to them carry a bag of 50Kg fully covered which is for personal use in their bike to abuse the privilege. Virtually , every filling station at Oja Odan Community has been turned into a foreign rice dump with market women waiting on a daily basis to buy from the smugglers. This is where the Customs Patrol Team officers and those at the checkpoint have to take a closer look on the bike operators to ensure that they did not make mockery of the Customs Authorities good intention and to be more strict on the road which would make it more difficult for even a bag of 50Kg foreign rice , let alone half bag to enter into the country.
The situation at Ohunbe, Ilara Ogudo and its its environs is not different from what is happening the border Communities in Ipokia, Imeko/Afon and Ogun Watersides LGAs.
