By Isaac Anumihe
five suspects arrested and detained by Nigeria Customs Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Ikeja, Lagos, have been released on administrative bail and on health ground.
The Public Relations Officer of the unit, Mr Jeremiah Attah, who confirmed this to Daily Sun, said that though the items they were conveying were restricted items, they were not contraband. Moreso, before they were released, they brought people that stood surety for them in the event that they are required to appear before the FOU.
“Four of the suspects have been released on administrative bail, while one was the driver of the haulage company, the others were ‘motor boys’ and they have all been released on administrative bail. The driver said that he was just flagged down on the road to carry some rice by some people not knowing that they were smuggled rice. We are on the trail of the owners of the rice. It is unethical to detain such a person knowing full well that the rice does not belong to him.
“We also released him on health grounds. Secondly, one was the driver of one ‘tokumbo’ Sienna car which was alleged to have been smuggled. The owner has come up and the owner has given an undertaken to bring the agent that cleared that vehicle for him. So, the remaining two were ‘motor boys’ However, they were released on the condition that they presented their sureties” he said.
The driver with a logistics company, Mr Adam Ogheneghare, was arrested for allegedly smuggling 280 units of 50 kilogramme bags of foreign parboiled rice last week along the Agbara-Atan road in Ogun State after operatives of the Customs Federal Operations Unit discovered the concealed rice in cartons of Maggi seasoning.
Ogheneghare, who works as a driver with GPS logistics, was paraded alongside other suspects caught in different acts of smuggling. He claimed ignorance of the gravity of the offence committed.
The 280 bags of rice discovered inside Ogheneghare’s truck with registration number LSD 724 XC were part of the 13,333 bags of rice seized between November 1 and 30.
Asked about the involvement of his firm, GPS logistics, Mr. Ogheneghare said his company was not aware of the act.
Last week , the Controller, FOU, Uba Mohammed, had said if their investigation shows that GPS Logistics had no hand in the smuggling, their vehicle will be released to them.