Smuggling activities thrive in Ogun State
BY Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta
Monday, March 27 2006

Smuggling activities along the border town of Papalanto\Ilaro and Abeokuta, Ogun State are going on unchecked by the men of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who are statutorily charged with the responsibilities of preventing smuggling.

Daily Sun investigations show that the illegal business appears thriving now than before with many Tokunbo vehicles, groundnut oil, textiles among others being smuggled into the state capital unabated.
This is a departure from what used to happen in the past particularly while the immediate Customs Controller, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo held sway in the state.

The rural smuggling communities of Owode, Ijoun, Imeko, Ilase and the Yewa Creeks would never forget Taiwo’s short but impressive tenure which was celebrated after his posting outside the state last year.

Although, the new Controller, Mr. Saka Yinusa promised to continue where his predecessor stopped, Daily Sun observed that it has been practically impossible for him to keep to his words.
No fewer than three Customs officers were wounded last month as smugglers clashed with Customs men over seized contrabands which Daily Sun learnt were later released after intervention from community leaders.

Smugglers of fairly used vehicles popularly called Tokunbo have been carrying out their nefarious activities without any regard for constituted authority as it was alleged that customs now facilitates their trade.

Contraband goods including bags of rice, palm oil, textile and other prohibited items have been finding their ways into Abeokuta, the state capital as well as other neighbouring states unchecked.
Daily Sun investigations further revealed that the illicit trade appears to be enjoying the connivance of some senior Customs officers with the Controller, Mr. Yinusa embarking on redeployment of both junior and senior officers of the Command whom he had accused of connivance.

The re-redployment exercise has also pitched the new controller from Kwara State against some of his lieutenants who also blamed him for high-handedness. "He’s stubborn, he is not receptive to ideas unlike his predecessor who did not joke with little information," a senior customs officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told Daily Sun.

According to him, most of the informers who helped the Command while Taiwo held sway have been discarded by Yinusa who has also been accused of not taking his subordinates into confidence.
Meanwhile, the NCS controller has concluded plans to redeploy Assistant Customs Controller before the end of this month. This Daily Sun learnt is seen as a witch-hunting exercise "to punish some officers whose loyalty to the new Controller was in doubt."

Customs Public Relations Officer, (Idi Iroko), Mr. Austin Aiso denied knowledge of increase in smuggling activities but added that the Command has been doing its best to check smuggling activities in the state. "We as a command are leaving no stone unturned to check the activities of smugglers in the state"