By Stephen Ubanna
Barely one month after’’ End Bad Governance against Hunger and Hardship protest’’, across the country, which may have given room to the smugglers to do what they know best: smuggle Cannabis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp, in local parlance, and other Contraband goods into the country including fairly used vehicles into the country through illegal border routes, Oyo and Osun based smugglers , have another story to tell of what they are going through in the hands of Compt. Nkem Ben Oramalugo and his patrol team officers.
The Customs Comptroller who is feared by the fraudulent importers with their agents and smugglers because of his harddline position and refusal to be compromised, was said to have mounted road blocks at strategic smugglers routes along the Saki, Iseyin and other border Communities in Oyo state, particular, to clip the wings of the smugglers which appears to be yielding the desired results.
This is evident going by what is happening in the south western state as the economic saboteurs who could no longer bear the heat from the Ouo/Osun, Command officers have cried out for help. On August 14, 2024, the Oyo/ Osun Command, was said to have have made another significant breakthrough in its Anti-smuggling operations with the seizure of 2,280 wraps of Cannabis Sativa, popular, Indian hemp, in local parlance, around the Ilero border route, in Oyo state, weighing 182Kg, produced in the West African country of Ghana.
The interception of the DAF, Truck, concealed with 2,280 wraps of Cannabis Sativa is coming on the heels of the August 12, 2024, interception and seizure of a DAF Truck, along the Saki axis, a notorious border route in Oyo state, between Nigeria and Benin Republic, concealed with 2,290 pnematic tyres expected to be pushed into the Nigerian market but stopped on transit by vigilant Oyo/ Osun Command officers on the road.
That much was confirmed by Kayode Wey, a Superintendent of Customs and the Command spokesperson, who had confirmed that the illegal substances were cleverly concealed under over 200 sacks of sawdust, while been transported in a 6-tyre DAF truck along the Ilero axis of Oyo state.
Giving an insider information, the Oyo/Osun Command, spokesperson, disclosed that the operation which took place on Wednesday , August 14, 2024, fully underscores the Command untowering Commitment to protecting public health and safety off Lives , noting that the Command would not relent relent in its efforts to combat smuggling of dangerous drugs and other harmful substances into the country.
An elated Compt. Oramalugo, who many believe had succeeded where other past Area Controllers of the Command had failed, and who could not his feelings had commended the officers for the good job they are doing at the border Communities in both Oyo and Osun stats, stressing that the interception and seizure of these 2,280, wraps of Cannabis Sativa, along the Ilero border route is a bold statement‘’ to the vigilance , dedication and professionalism of the Command officers’’.
The Customs Area Controller had said that the smugglers had attempted to disguise the illegal substance under cover of 200 sacks of sawdust ‘’to evade detection but the Command’s intelligence patrol team officers’’ who could not take it as they were said to have insisted on bringing the items loaded in the DAF Truck down for routine inspections. It was gathered that in the process of bringing down the sacks of sawdust down from the suspected Truck for physical examination that the wraps of Cannabis Sativa, hidden under the sacks of sawdust were discovered and, and seized, thus making it impossible for the smugglers to take it to the border Communities and other parts of the state for sales.
Compt. Oramalugo, had said that the interception of the DAF Truck concealed with the wraps of Cannabis Sativa, further highlights the extent to which the smugglers could go’’ to distribute illegal drugs in the country’’ ostensibly to corrupt the teeming unemployed youths in the country.
With the seizure of the 2,280 wraps of Cannabis Sativa and the earlier seized 2,290, pneumatic tyres along the Saki road in the south western state of Oyo, the Oyo/ Osun Command, Customs boss, who may have sent a message to the drug peddlers that it is no longer going to be business as usual, as he had given his words that ‘’the Command is determined to prevent Cannabis Sativa and other dangerous drugs from being smuggled into the country no matter the tricks that may be adopted by the smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities.
The irrepressible Oyo/Osun Customs helmsman, was said to have told those that cares to listen that once it gets the necessary approval from the Customs Headquarters, the seized 2,280, wraps of Cannabis Sativa, will be handed over to the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, under the close watch of Muhammed Buba Marwa, a retired Army Brig. Gen. and former Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, , for further investigation and destruction according to the Laws of the Land.
Appealing to the people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to drug trafficking or smuggling to the nearest Customs office or any other Law enforcement agency , the Oyo/Osun Command Area C had said that it is the only way to deal a decisive blow on the smugglers and force many of them out of the illegal business.
He noted that ’’the fight against smuggling is a collective responsibility that requires the cooperation of all and sundry’’, reassuring the Nigerian public that the Command under his Leadership will continue ‘’to intensify efforts to combat all forms of illegal trade on drugs and other Contraband goods and ensure the safety of well-being of the people’’.
Indeed, the Oyo/ Osun, Command aggressive anti-smuggling drive which spectacular drugs and other, under its urisdictions, Contraband seizures over the last couple of months have continued to reverberate in different parts of the two southern western states , may have have sustained the tempo of the anti-smuggling operations that even Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi, a one-time terror to the smugglers as Coordinator of the Comptroller General of Customs Task Force, on Anti-smuggling Operations, during the Administration of Aliyu Mustapha and who had retired from the Service as an Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, had on Thursday, August 23, 2024, lambasted the service on its anti-smuggling operations believed to be anti-people.
Senator Fadahunsi, had demanded that’’ erring Customs personnel who misuse their firearms at the nation’s Land border areas to make Contraband seizures should be punished’’ as a deterrence to others who might want to resort to misuse of firearms in the future.
An aggrieved Fadahunsi, who was said to have chaired an ad- hoc Senate Committee ‘’to probe the alleged misuse of firearms by Customs patrol team officers’’ would want Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General of NCS, ‘’to reduce the number of checkpoints at border Communities ‘’to aid the free flow of goods’’.
Senator Fadahunsi, who would not want to sight any drug or Contraband good being smuggled into the country while still in the service and as Coordinator Anti-smuggling Operations was said to have made it clear that the Customs Comptroller General and heads of other security agencies should reduce the multiple checkpoints mounted in the border Communities, across the border states with Republic of Benin, Niger and the Central African country of Cameroun.
The Osun state born Politician who appears to have shown that he has the interest of Nigerians at heart, was said to have sounded it loud and clear that the reduction of the too many checkpoints at the border Communities ‘’will aid the free flow of goods in and around the Communities to the towns and cities around the border Communities’’.
Although, he may have been seen by the people of the border Communities across the country as fighting their cause, as he called for the immediate redeployment of Comptrollers Florunsho Ojo, Area Controller , Ogun I, Idiroko Command, and Muhammed Umar Abubakar, of the Katsina Command, overseeing the over 150 Km, border routes between Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic, not many too him serious because of his antecedents in the service.
He was said to be particular, on the redeployment of Comptrollers Oo and Abuabakar, of Ogun I, Idiroko, and Katsina Conds Area Controllers , insisting that the Customs Comptroller General, should investigate and review ‘’the alleged issuance of official receipt to traders and non-traders in Jibia and Maidua, in Katsina, in the Buhari home state by officials of the Customs Command.
He may been silent on Comptrollers Oramalugo, Kola Oladeji, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos and Deputy Comptroller Shuaibu, Joint Border Patrol, Team A, Lagos, as he never hammered for their redeployment and replacement by new officers in their respective Commands meaning that he was satisfied with their professional conduct in the south western region, notwithstanding the cry of the people of the continued seizure of their goods at the border Communities by Customs personnel.
