Having observed possible connivance between smugglers and some erring drivers driving the cement trucks belonging to Dangote Cement Plant in Ibese, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, the management of Dangote Industries is partnering the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to clamp down on the culpable drivers.
Recall that some drivers of Dangote Cement, Ibese, were recently arrested and trucks confiscated by NCS, Ogun State Area Command, for conveying and smuggling of contraband, mainly rice and vegetable oil, which were said to be contracted to the erring drivers by the suspected smugglers.
Speaking at the parade of confiscated contraband at the headquarters of Ogun State Area Command of the Customs in Abeokuta, Sani Madugu, comptroller of customs, said, “We arrested a Dangote trailer with 600 bags of smuggled rice. However, the owner of the truck has gone into synergy with us.
“Any trailer that off the road, those are the trailers that are working within Ogun State Area Command, within Ilaro-Ibese area where they (Dangote Industries) have their cement factory. They will tell us that a particular trailer has not come back, please, help us monitor it and we would monitor it.
“So, this kind of synergy and communication between the company and Customs have yielded what we are presenting for you. Sometimes, they lead the seizures to us themselves or they call us to come and take the seizures.”
Meanwhile, the NCS area command has intercepted contraband from the state land border along Idi-Iroko in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state, confiscating hundreds of bags of rice, gallons of vegetable oil, shoes, used vehicles and tyres, packs of mosquito repellant worth N26.9 million duty paid value smuggled into the country through the land border.
Giving statistics of contraband seized by the NCS in Abeokuta, Madugu said a truck belonging to Dangote Group with number plate KMC 252 XC, carrying 600 bags of rice with duty paid value of N9.9 million; Lexus SUV with duty paid value of N3.7 million; Hyundai Veracruz worth N4 million; 19 bundles of used tyres with duty paid value N1.2 million; 800 pairs of foreign foot wear and 100 foreign school bags with duty value paid of N3.5 million, among others, was seized.
The comptroller also noted that the 277 smuggled vehicles had been auctioned on Customs online platform so far from Ogun State Area Command of Customs under the e-auction scheme established by the Federal Government to raise more revenue for Nigeria through seizures made by the NCS.
