By Stephen Ubanna
Between 2022 and now, returnee Nigerians in Diaspora, had exploited the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Common External Tariff, CET, 2022-2026, schedule 2 No.8, sub-section 3, which clearly stated that goods classified as ‘’baggage’’ for Nigerian citizens who have resided outside the country for at least nine months are to be shipped into the country and cleared duty free.
The returnee Nigerians were said to have taken advantage of the soft landing provided for them in the ECOWAS CET, to ship imported luxury vehicles intended for sales, barter and exchange, alongside their other personal belongings through the Tin can Island port.
The returned Nigerians, who are businessmen, in disguise may have been getting away with the illegal activities over the years but knew that they are in for trouble when information filtered out that the then, Deputy Comptroller, DC. Oyeka, overseeing the Apapa port exit gate had been moved to the Tin can Island as acting Comptroller.
The Customs, acting Comptroller who was said to have been guided by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General policy – thrust of Collaboration, Consolidation and Innovation, to introduce strict measures at the Apapa exit gate that was said to have made things very difficult for the fraudulent importers with their agents to carry out their nefarious activities is out to repeat same at the Lagos port.
Recall that at the Apapa port exit gate, some of the importers with their agents who were not ready to play into the hands of the no nonsense and soft- spoken DC. Overseeing the Apapa port exit gate, now acting Comptroller, Tin can Island port were said to have turned a new leaf to pay correct duties for their Consignments or the Debit Note, DN, issued if caught in the act.
He may have read the riot to the DCs, overseeing the Lagos port Terminals and their officers, forcing them to sit up in order to properly evaluate all imported vehicles alongside personal belongings shipped into the country through the Lagos port to ensure that the government is not short-changed.

The Tin can Island Command officers may have read the handwriting on the wall that it is no longer going to be business as usual but to ensure that the right thing is done in order to collect the maximum duties for the government on both dutiable and items classified as personal baggage but are really dutiable, particular, luxurious vehicles.
This may have informed why the 70- year-old, Olukayode David -Albert, who was said to have demanded to clear his two vehicles alongside his personal belongings’ duty -free for relocating to the country ran into trouble.
The Nigerian returnee who did not find it funny that he could not be allowed to clear his two vehicles, described in Customs circles as luxury had alleged that the Customs operatives are out to extort and frustrate him, alleging that he had been asked to pay N76 million to clear the imported two luxury vehicles and other personal belongings. He got it wrong.
He may have crossed-path with the Customs personnel at the Lagos port because he had imported the, Asian country of South Korea, luxurious 2024, Hyundai vehicle which going by the provisions of the ECOWAS CET, 2022-2026, attracts an import duty rate of 20%, levy of 20%, and Value Added Tax, VAT, of 7.5%.
The payment of the approved duty, levy and VAT, rates, according to a senior Customs officer was in compliance with the Customs regulations as the Nigeria Customs Administration had adopted the implementation of the ECOWAS, CET, in with obtained inother member countries of the ECOWAS.
The Tin can Island Command officers who were said to have valued the Nigeria returnee two luxurious vehicles were said to have put the duty rate at N34,969,374.00. This value, according to Ngozi Okwara, a superintendent of Customs and the Command spokesperson, which was said to be significantly less than the reported N53.5 million alleged as a Compromise amount in an online publication, not The Value News, ostensibly to blackmail the new Customs Management Team led by acting Compt.Oyeka.
From on the set, the Customs acting Comptroller had sounded it loud and clear that ‘’the right thing must be done to ensure that the Command collect the maximum revenue target set for the Command by the Headquarters.
The question on the lips of most people was where the returnee Nigerian and his agent got the reported N76 million allegedly demanded by the Command terminal officers to facilitate the release and exit of the two luxurious South Korea manufactured vehicles from the port.
Describing it as an irrelevant claim, the Tin can Island Command spokesperson, who could not hide her feelings had said that the 70-year-old David – Albert had no reason to go to press to blackmail the Command to do the unexpected but ought to have complied with the established Customs procedures to take delivery of his imported vehicles and personal belongings from the port without any problem.
The Customs Superintendent, may have spoken the mind of the Command’s acting Comptroller, when she challenges David-Albert,’’ to provide credible evidence of misconduct against any officer who had asked for gratification from him to help facilitate the release of his two luxury vehicles from the port for him.
As a disciplinarian who is not ready not to allow any officer spoil his good track records which he recorded over the years in all the Commands he had served , including the Apapa Command, at the Management level before rising to the present level in his, career, as an acting, Comptroller, an officer informed the online Magazine that he is ever ready to parade all the officers who had treated the 70-year-old, David -Albert’s document , for him to identify the misbehaved officer for further necessary action.
The Customs acting Comptroller, is who has vowed not to spare any officer who misbehaves in the course of discharging his duties, was said to have made it clear to those that cares to listen that that ‘’the core responsibility of the NCS, to facilitate the clearance of legitimate goods’’.
The message is clear very clear, that the aggrieved David -Albert and others like him may have to meet the statutory requirements for duty payment for their imported vehicles and personal belongings to exit it from the port, instead of attempting to circumvent due process, which would not be entertained under the present Management team of the Tin can Island Command led by acting Compt. Oyeka.
Given the mandate that was said to have been given to him by the Customs Comptroller General, may have informed why he is committed ‘’to upholding transparency, professionalism and fairness in the Command operations, and enforcement of the ECOWAS, CET, without fear or favour while supporting the legitimate traders’’.