Customs Officers Reject N1.5m Bribe, Arrest Railway Vandals In Sokoto

Men of the Nigerian Custom Service, Sokoto/Zamfara command turned down the sum of N1.5million offered by suspected vandals of railway tracks at Kajiji along Kebbi Road in Sokoto State.

The notorious rail vandals offered the bribe on Saturday when operatives of the command clamped down on a truck conveying a 20-feet container laden with vandalised railway tracks.

Three suspects were also arrested by the Command’s monitoring team during the operation.

The Command’s Comptroller of Customs, Kamal Muhammed, while briefing newsmen at the command headquarters in Sokoto on Monday said, “the suspects could not tender evidence of allocation from the Federal Ministry of Transport, instead made an overture to bribe the officers with N1.5 million and even made an advance cash offer of N300,000.00

“Out of patriotism and integrity, the Officers chose the path of honour by detaining them at the Command Headquarters.

“As we are all aware, 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, 000.00 cash to the Commander NSCDC Sokoto Command who is here with us for further investigation and prosecution.”

Meanwhile, the Command has also auctioned 11,270 litres of Petroleum Motor Spirits, PMS, at the rate of N180 per litre to the public in Sokoto.

“In compliance to the Comptroller General of Custom 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 Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, popular called petrol.

“The maritime and cross border smuggling of PMS has a negative impact on the overall supply chain of the product in addition to the possibility of funding of criminal activities with the proceeds,” Muhammed said.

He added that even with the removal of subsidy, the smuggling of PMS brings extra cost burden on the country in terms of security of supply and securing of the scarce foreign exchange used to import the product.