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Customs Only Arrests Smugglers Who Refuse To Pay Bribe – Fisayo Soyombo
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Fisayo Soyombo, an investigative journalist, has alleged that smugglers can bring in all sorts of goods or items into Nigeria as long as they pay bribes to personnel of the customs service.
Soyombo, who is the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), said customs officials in Nigeria only intercept and publish names of smugglers who refuse to bribe them or who outsmart them.
Speaking during an interview on ‘Hard Copy’, a Channels Television programme, Soyombo said he had a first-hand experience of the atrocities perpetrated by customs officials when he embedded as a smuggler to bring in bags of rice from Benin Republic in 2022.
“I went into Benin Republic in November 2022, got some bags of rice and brought them to a place called Oja Odan. From Oja Odan, I was supposed to move them to Ilaro but we had to bribe customs,” he said.
“What happened was that I went in like I wanted to smuggle. I had to get smugglers already based in Ilaro and Oja Odan to take me in as part of them.
“Everything that I wrote that the smugglers told me, the smugglers believed they were speaking to a smuggler like them and not a journalist.
“When people say it is hearsay, It is not. It is just like going undercover to join a robbery gang and because you are one of them, they tell you a police commissioner is part of them. You can’t treat such information with scant regard.
“We were waiting for customs to tell us the day to move the bags of rice from Oja Odan to Ilaro and while waiting, I had to leave the country.
“So, there was a wait time because the customs officials who took money from the lead smuggler had not yet given us the all-clear.
“What happens is, if you hear or read it in any newspaper that ‘customs intercepts one million bags of rice’, those are people that did not bribe them.
“Anyone… and I say this with all conviction… anyone can bring in anything into Nigeria if you pay the right people.
“If you read any news that customs seized bags of rice or chicken, those are people that tried to outsmart them. If you bribe the right people in customs, you can bring in anything.
“When I say anything, I mean rice, chicken, turkey, arms, ammunition, tramadol, guns and motorcycles used by terrorists in the morth. These were things that were brought in.”
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Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
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The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
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Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
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Reps Applaud FCT Minister, Wike On AICL Improved Revenue, Infrastructure
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