Barely twenty-four hours after a former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation official was indicted, powerful government officials are allegedly engaging in intense lobbying to conceal a multi-billion naira corruption involving senior members of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
At least 40 personnel from the NCS, many holding top positions, have been implicated in a thorough investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, into bribes paid by smugglers for the illegal import and export of contraband goods across Nigerian borders.
In 2023, the EFCC detained seven of these officials after tracing over N12,000,000,000 in alleged bribe proceeds to them.
Despite their detention, they were not prosecuted and have since resumed their duties without facing consequences.
It is alleged that customs officials are pocketing billions in bribes while undermining government policies aimed at protecting national interests. Despite documented evidence of their involvement in facilitating contraband movement, the identification and prosecution of these individuals are rare.
Meanwhile, customs insiders claim that these officers possess properties and businesses far exceeding their legitimate earnings.
The EFCC’s investigation extends to at least 33 other NCS officers, some of whom reportedly amassed significant sums of bribes following the closure of the Nigeria-Niger border as part of ECOWAS sanctions against the military junta in Niger.
Also, smugglers allegedly pay bribes directly or through designated agents’ accounts of NCS officials, particularly those operating in Zone B, covering multiple borders with the Niger Republic.
Six of the seven identified officers worked in Zone B, while one allegedly involved in receiving the majority of the N12 billion operated in Zone C, Port Harcourt.
According to reports, Ibrahim Jalo, the Area Controller Zone B in Kaduna, was found in possession of $31,200 and N500,000 in cash upon arrest, alongside suspected proceeds of N1,100,000,000 in bribes.
Other officers include Kayode Kolade, Comptroller of Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in Zone C, Port Harcourt, who is alleged to have received N9,500,000,000 in bribes, and Nurudeen Musa, the Comptroller of Enforcement, Kaduna Zone, traced with N950,000,000 among others.
Despite these revelations, officers like Hamisu Ibrahim, in charge of Operation FOU Zone B in Kaduna, and Madugu Saleh and Mohammed Rabiu, also allegedly involved, have started refunding portions of the bribes they received.
However, full accountability and consequences for these actions remain uncertain.
Comments