Customs lied on ownership of vehicle used to smuggle rice: Police

Customs lied on ownership of vehicle used to smuggle rice: Police

Controller of Ogun Customs Command, Bamidele Makinde, parading the Hillux van allegedly owned by the Police used to smuggle rice

The police in Ogun said the claim by the State Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) that a vehicle belonging to it was used to smuggle foreign rice into the country is not true.

DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the public relations officer of Ogun Police Command said this while reacting to the parade of Hilux van with police number plate PF 10889 SPY allegedly arrested with 27 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice by the Customs in Ogun on Tuesday.

Controller of Ogun Area 1 Command of Customs, Bamidele Makinde, told journalists that the driver of the alleged police Hillux van ran away when his vehicle was accosted by his officers.

“As it is, it will be communicated to Abuja. The NCS headquarters has the final say on what happens to it. If it is found to be a police vehicle, it is only Abuja that can release it to the police authorities,” he said.

But the Ogun Police Command spokesperson said the claim that the impounded vehicle belonged to the Police by Customs was false.

He also said the Customs should have contacted the police before reaching its conclusion of the vehicle, especially, since no police officer was arrested with the vehicle.

Oyeyemi said, “The attention of Ogun state Police Command has been drawn to a news item with the above caption circulating on social media and other media outfit. The news has to do with the press briefing done by the Nigeria Custom Ogun 1 Area Command on the 22nd of March 2022, while parading some impounded contraband at the Command’s Headquarters in Abeokuta.

“During the said press briefing, a vehicle purportedly belonging to Nigeria Police Force, used for smuggling of 27 bags of rice and abandoned by the driver when accosted by Custom officers was paraded by the comptroller.

“The command wouldn’t have like to join issues with a sister agency, but in order to set the record straight, there is need to make the following clarifications.

“To start with, the number plate on the vehicle which is PF 10889 SPY is not a police number plate, as no police vehicle will be numbered in such manner.

“The Nigeria Custom Services which have unfettered access to the top echelon of the Police command would have contacted the command for details information about the vehicle before labelling it as Police vehicle in their press briefing, moreso that nobody was arrested with the said vehicle to give credence to their claim.

“The command hereby wishes to inform members of the public that the said vehicle is not a Police vehicle and the number plate on it is fake and the police has nothing to do with it.