The Security Situation Room, a premium security tracking platform, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government to immediately dismantle the Nigeria Custom Service roadblock at Ekiadolor, near Benin City, Edo State which has become centre of oppression and extortion by Custom personnel.
The group in a statement made available to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, which was signed by Douglas Ogbankwa, described the Ekiadolor roadblock operated by the Nigeria Custom Service Federal Operations Unit, with headquarters in Owerri, Imo State capital as weaponised banditry against the people of Edo State.
Titled: “Edo State People and Edo Economy Under Siege”, the Convener of the Situation Room, Ogbankwa decried that the Edo State economy was being ruined by the bandits masquerading as Custom Officials, who extort billions of Naira yearly from Edo people and other Nigerians passing through the state, adding that most of the money ended up in their private pockets.
“We are outraged that these armed bandits masquerading as Custom Officials have created a heist heaven in Ekiadolor, Edo State and we see their activities as specifically targeted at Edo people knowing that they travel far and wide and bring in goods home as part of their diaspora remittances.”
The group called on Edo State legislators at the National Assembly to urgently intervene and rescue the Edo people and the Edo State economy, adding that the intervention of Dennis Idahosa in the past to stop the extortion and oppressive roadblock, has made the situation worse.
The group noted the Custom officers at Ekiadolor had become criminally notorious as characterised in all Custom roadblock across Nigeria, adding that Custom officials at Ekiadolor roadblock are most wicked and coldest blooded Custom Officials anywhere in Nigeria. “There is a rat race among Custom Officials to be posted there, due to the gargantuan heist of our commonwealth that takes place there every day.
“We find that they will be asking for Custom Papers for cars that have been registered in Nigeria some times for more than 10 years and that passed through the requisite Custom Clearance at that time. Edo People living abroad, bring in goods year-in year-out and these Custom officials have crippled the economy of Edo State as they have in their custody many containers of Edo People, which have passed through Custom Scrutiny and Clearance at the Borders or Ports.
“They will seize trailer loads of foreign rice from Edo State citizens, send some home to their families to feed, do give away with people’s sweats to their families and friends, sell others and put the money in their private pockets. As Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe said “Enough is Enough!”
“We are not unaware of the heavy extortion that takes place in that place as travellers are made to part with money for their cars, goods and consignments, that they have paid custom duties for and have passed Custom Clearance, under the guise of under valuing of Custom Duties, which is an internal issue and arrangement of the Custom Service, which the Nigerian People cannot be inundated with.
“This cannot be allowed to happen under our watch. We call for the immediate dismantling of that illegal and extortionist roadblock at Ekiadolor.”
While warning that it would not hesitate to challenge the illegal roadblocks in the state and elsewhere in the country, if it was not immediately dismantled, the group said that it constituted a National Legal Team to stop and dismantle all the illegal Custom Service Roadblocks across Nigeria using the Courts.
Members of the team are: “Gospower Eroga (Abuja ) -Chairman; Rosemachi Ole Ogbusua (Lagos ) – Member; Osato Uwagboe (Benin)-Member; Aye Obadiah- (Warri) Member; Gabriel Ehigiator -(Benin) Secretary; Onosetela Otua and Esther Osawaru will act as research assistants.
“The Legal Team shall interrogate through originating summons and/or other permissible Originating Processes the following issues of Law at the ECOWAS Court of Justice and/ or other grievance remedial fora:
“1. Whether or not the Nigerian Custom Service being an institution that has primary jurisdiction over goods and consignment at Nigerian Land, Sea and Air Borders, as prescribed for, by the Custom and Excise Act, can mount illegal and extortionist roadblocks all across Nigerian Roads except as indicated below, whether the mounting of illegal and extortionist road blocks all across Nigerian Roads, except as indicated below and the extortion of citizens of Nigeria thereof, amounts to stop and search for Custom Duties as provided for, by the Custom and Excise Act and whether same is not an infringement of Citizens Rights to own movable and immovable, Right to Freedom of Movement and Right to Freedom from Torture as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) and African Charter on Human and People Rights, now an Act of the National Assembly cited as Cap A4 LFN, 2004. We shall adumbrate at the trial that the actions of the Nigerian Custom Service of mounting illegal and extortionist roadblocks all across Nigeria, amounts to psychological and traumatic torture of the Nigerian People;
“2. Whether by the Custom and Excise Act, the Nigerian Custom Service is imbued with any powers whatsoever to indiscriminately check, seize numbered vehicles, goods and consignments with the requisite Custom Papers and which has passed Custom Clearance, indicating the requisite Custom Duties has been paid, as provided for by Law and whether all those illegal and extortionist roadblocks, (except those situate around one Kilometre radius of a Nigerian Land Border with another country) are not liable to be immediately dismantled, same being an infringement of the Fundamental Human Rights of Citizens as posited above.
“Whether the Nigerian Custom Service and the Federal Government of Nigeria are not liable to pay damages to the Plaintiffs, who are Citizens of Nigeria for all their extortionist, oppressive and repressive actions, which has impeded free flow of goods, consignments and cars into Nigeria and has almost made the Nigerian Economy comatose.”
“The Legal Team will commence work immediately with the issuance of the requisite pre action Notice to the Nigeria Custom Service, Headquarters, Abuja,” the statement reads.