Ogun Customs Boss Redeems Image After SPY Police Vehicle Brouhaha
BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA
Barely three weeks after the seizure of a controversial SPY Police vehicle created a spat between commanders of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun 1 Area Command Idiroko and the Ogun State Nigeria Police Command, reportedly over mistaken identity, the customs have extolled the positive impact of sister agencies cooperation in the collective fight against smuggling and criminalities.
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This followed the handover of a large quantity of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as Indian Hemp seized by the Customs Command to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Makinde Bamidele, the drug which comprised 319 sacks of raw substance, with 476 units wrapped in book size and 96 other units wrapped in coconut size packages has a Duty Payable Value (DPV) of N120, 848, 768.
Makinde told reporters that the outlawed substance was intercepted within his short stint as the area controller, adding that the handover exercise was done in line within the existing standard operating procedures (SOP) between agencies of government.
The customs area boss further noted that the handover was sequel to approval by the Customs Controller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd); stressing that cooperation can only strengthen the overall mandate of the customs and other sister agencies, including NDLEA.
The NDLEA State Commander, Ishaku Yusuf Kwajafa who was on ground to receive the illicit substances thanked Makinde and his operatives for the seizure, saying it has reduced the risk of impending crisis in Ogun and neigbghouring states if the substances had found its way out.
It will be recalled that Ogun State Command Police Force penultimate week, lambasted the Ogun 1 Customs boss for allegedly peddling fake report in respect of the seizure of an operational vehicles with police number plate PF 1089 SPY said to have been engaged is smuggling, which the customs chief said belonged the state police command.
The police had expressed disappointment at the customs action while denying ownership of the said vehicle; and remarked that being a sister intelligence driven organization with unfettered access to the police, the customs failed to utilize the tool of clarifications available to it and choose to go to town with a purported fake news.