Officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Command were said to have turned down N1.5m bribe from suspected vandals of railway tracks.

The operatives of the command on June 8 2024, clamped down on a notorious cartel that specialises in the vandalisation of railway tracks, alongside a truck conveying a 20-foot container laden with vandalised railway tracks.

Also in the process, three suspects were intercepted by the command’s monitoring team at Kajiji along Kebbi Road.

The Comptroller of Customs, Sokoto/Zamfara Commands, Kamal Muhammed, while briefing newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Sokoto on Monday, said, “The suspects could not tender evidence of allocation from the Federal Ministry of Transport, instead made an overture to bribe the officers with N1.5m and even making an advance cash offer of N300, 000.

“Out of patriotism and integrity, the officers chose the path of honour by detaining them at the command headquarters.

“As we are all aware, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence is the agency mandated to secure critical national assets, conforming with the collaboration policy thrust of the CGC, the Area Command will hand over the suspects, the truck, and its content and the N300,000cash to the Commander NSCDC Sokoto Command who is here with us for further investigation and prosecution”

Speaking further, he noted that in compliance with the orders of the Comptroller General of Customs to seal up routes used by smugglers to smuggle contraband, officers of the whirlwind tactical team intercepted 11,270 litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

He said, “In compliance with the Comptroller General of Customs matching order to seal up all routes used for the smuggling of petroleum products, the Zone ” B” whirlwind tactical team with reinforcement by Officers and men of Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command intercepted 11, 270litrea of Premium Motor Spirit popularly called petrol.

“The maritime and cross border smuggling of PMS hurts the overall supply chain of the product in addition to the possibility of funding of criminal activities with the proceeds.

“Even with the removal of subsidy, the smuggling of PMS brings about extra cost burden on the country both in terms of security of supply and securing of the scarce foreign exchange used to import the product.”

He added that the command will auction the sale of 11,270 litres of Petroleum Motor Spirits, at the rate of 180 naira per litre to the general public in Sokoto.

“In line with extant laws and the approval by the Comptroller General of Customs, the seized PMS will be auctioned to the general public today at a token of 180 naira per litre.

“Relatedly, last week the Whirwild Zone B tactical team auctioned 20,142 litres of PMS to the general public at Kebbi Area Command”, he added.

Similarly, in August 2023, the Tincan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said it rejected the N50m bribe offered by a smuggler involved in the importation of tramadol and other drugs for his container to be released.

The Customs Area Comptroller of Tincan, Mr Adekunle Oloyede, said this while addressing journalists at the command.

He said the suspect, Boniface Ike, accepted ownership of two 40-foot containers arrested with drugs with the duty paid value of N550m. (The PUNCH: Text, Excluding Headline)

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