‘Customs Rejected N1.5m Bribe from Suspected Vandals’

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto 

The Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has said it rejected the N1.5m bribe offered by Vandals involved in the vandalisation of railway tracks.

The Area Comptroller of the command Kamal Muhammad made the disclosure while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Sokoto.

He explained that on the 8th of June 2024, operatives of the Command clampdown on a notorious cartel that specializes in vandalisation of railway tracks.  

Controller Muhammad stated that a truck conveying a 20 feet container laden with vandalized railway tracks along with three suspects were intercepted by the Command monitoring team at Kajiji along Kebbi road.

He further said that the suspects could not tender evidence of allocation from the Federal Ministry of Transport, instead made an overture to bribe the officers with 1.5 million Naira and even making anadvance cash offer of N300, 000. 

He boss noted that out of patriotism and integrity, the Officers chose the path of honour by detaining the suspects at the Command Headquarters.

He maintained that, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense (NSCDC) is the Agency mandated to secure Critical National assets, conforming with the Collaboration Policy thrust of the CGC, the Area Command will hand over the Suspects, the truck, and its content and the sum of N300,000 Naira cash to the Commander NSCDC Sokoto Command  for further investigation and prosecution.

In another development the command said in compliance to the Control General of Customs’s  (CGC’) matching order to seal up all routes used for the smuggling of petroleum products, the Zone ” B” whirlwind tactical team with reinforcement by Officers and men of Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command intercepted 11, 270liters of premium motor spirit (PMS) popular called petrol.