The patrol team boss also disclosed that the team recorded 187 seizures with a duty-paid value of N 302, 590, 252.00.
By Jeffery Agbo
The Joint Border Patrol Team of sector 3, which covers Kwara, Niger, Kogi and Benue states, has intercepted three stolen vehicles worth over N100 million on federal highways in the North Central zone.
Coordinator of the Sector 3 Patrol Team, Acting Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG), Olugboyega Peters, said one of the vehicles is a Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep valued at N60.75million which belongs to a member of the House of Representatives, Chidi Nwoka.
According to Peters, the jeep was intercepted along Kaduna/Abuja road.
Peters, who addressed reporters on the feat recorded by his team in 2022, explained that the vehicle was intercepted a few hours after it was stolen from the lawmaker’s driver.
He stated: “During the period under review, Sector 3 has intercepted a total of three (3) stolen vehicles. Namely; Lexus RX 350 without number plate sized around Benue axis, Toyota Yaris with Registration Number BEN-59-EZ apprehended around Lokoja Axis of the Sector and Toyota land cruiser jeep intercepted at Suleja axis as earlier mentioned.
“In the early hours of Wednesday, 23rd of November, 2022, our operatives deployed to Suleja axis of Niger State, while on routine patrol intercepted a Toyota land cruiser Jeep with registration number KUJ 570 MB from Abuja heading to Kaduna. The operatives requested for the vehicle Customs documents from the occupants.
“The 2 occupants who could not produce any document disembarked from the vehicle, pretending to be making a call to the owner and suddenly took to their heels and ran into the bush and abandoned the vehicle. This raised the suspicion of our operatives while carrying out the above constitutional powers, in accordance with Section 149- which empowers Customs officers to search vehicles and ship.
“While conducting search on the vehicle, the operatives found a complimentary card bearing details of a National Assembly Member. The said Honorable member was subsequently contacted and officers were confronted with shocking news that the vehicle in question was snatched a few hours earlier from his driver at gunpoint around the Gwarimpa axis of Abuja.
“I want to assure you that once the customs duty of the said vehicle is produced by the owner and confirmed to be genuine, the sector will hand over the vehicle to Nigeria Police Force for further investigations and theft clarification.”
The patrol team boss also disclosed that the team recorded 187 seizures with a duty-paid value of N 302, 590, 252.00.
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“The breakdown of the seized goods included 2,052 Bags of Foreign Parboiled Rice (50 kg each) an average of 4 trailer loads, 4,598 litres of PMS (Petrol), 800 litres of Diesel, 28 units of used Vehicles, 16 units of Motorcycle (Means of Conveyance), 11 kegs of Vegetable oil, 102 bales of Secondhand clothing, 19 Sacks of 2166 Pairs of Used Shoes, 427 Wraps of Cannabis sativa, 4 packets of Tramadol (120mg), 90 Pieces of Used tyres and 39 cartons of tomato paste,” he said.
He, however, lamented that the Command lost an officer identified as ASCI Saheed Aweda who was killed by the hoodlums that attacked the JBPT officers at Igboho town in Orelope Local Government of Oyo State when they were conveying the seized rice and PMS seized at Sinau-Kenu Road in Baruten LGA of Kwara.
Peters warned the smugglers who still have intention to smuggle illicit, controlled and prohibited goods or engage in human trafficking and other criminal activities to think twice adding that “there will be no hiding place for them as the new patrol strategies adopted by the sector in line with the Presidential directive against illegal perpetrators who are bent on derailing the Nation’s economy will be made face full wrath of the law.”
“This trend of unprovoked attacks by faceless cowards whose intention is to instil fear in the minds of law enforcement operatives shall not go unpunished. Neither will it dampen the resolve of our officers and men from carrying out their statutory duties.
“I wish to categorically state that we will continue to carry out the anti-smuggling crusade in spite of the unwarranted attacks. The Sector wants to use this medium to advise parents/guardians to warn their wards to desist from obstructing our operatives from performing their legitimate duties as the Sector will not hesitate to use appropriate force in line with rules of engagement and will leave our Officers with no other alternative than to defend themselves in the interest of the nation,” he said.