Customs issues trespassers quit notice
Management of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Command has launched an aggressive clean up initiative to reclaim customs land from illegal occupants and land grabbers in Seme, as well rid the land border commander of impostors and touts.
The initiative aimed to give Seme Command improved ambience in tune with international land bother appearance. is designed to eliminate all unwanted structures that has defaced the environment, and constituted social and physical eyesore.
Customs Area Controller of Seme Command, Compt. Mohammed Aliyu who disclosed this weekend, said all illegal occupants of customs land should vacate the land immediately and remove their structures, even as he adviced those with any semblance of official claims to seek clearance from customs headquarters.
A statement by the command Public Relations Officer, Taupyeng Selcheng, said the customs area controller has warned of imminent demolition of all illegal structures, hinting that the customs headquaters is deternined to ensure that Seme acquire the right international border outlook that meets regional and international standard.
The statement reads in part: “The Customs Area Controller, Compt. Mohammed Aliyu, who has taken many decisions that has hitherto led to the unprecedented successes recorded in the operation and administration of Seme Command is still taking some proactive steps to give Seme main border an international appearance.
“Critical amongst the decisions is the patriotic initiative and action of reclaiming the Seme Command Customs land that has over the years been encroached on illegally by uncsrupulous individuals without approval.
“The Customs Area Controller with the consent of the headquarters is sanitizing the gateway corridor that use to wear a picture that does not give an international outlook nor meet the global standard compared to other international land borders within the West African sub region. The has said that the time to act is now lest posterity judge us wrongly.
The command helmsman said he is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that illegal structures are demolished and those with approval re-directed to update their status by routing their requests to the Comptroller General of Customs through the Customs Area Controller.”
The statement also quoted the area controller of expressing dismay over the illegal occupation, noting that the land which was gazetted in 1978 by the Land Act decree of the Federal Government of Nigeria would not be allowed to be taken over by anyone and urged all illegal occupants to make haste and quit before it is too late.
Similarly, the Seme customs boss has issued red card to miscreants and touts popularly known as ‘kelebes’ operating at the Seme border to leave before they are apprehended. Tagged ‘Operation Flush Out Touts from Seme Border’, the statement informed that the customs boss decision was reinforced by evidences that these kelebes have formed the habbit of impersonating officers in the commission of crimes and illegalities. They also mislead and deceive travelers who falls victim to their illegal activities. According to the statement, Mohammed has appealed to members of the public traveling along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor to be wary of these criminal elements, warning Nigerians and other nationales using the international border axis not to deal with anyone not on customs uniform. Mohammed told Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Mr. Joseph Olusola at a recent engagement at the border that the clean up initiative is total and unstopable.