Metro
4 officers booted out of Customs over importation of 661 pump action rifles
Four officers of the Nigeria Customs Service identified as Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, said be at large, and Salihu Danjuma have been shown the exit door over the importation of 661 pump action rifles into the country.
Their dismissal was made public by Mr Joseph Atah, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Customs Service who revealed that the four officers conspired to import 661 pump action rifles into the country from Turkey through the Apapa Port in Lagos.
Mr Atah said the suspects, some of whom are now being prosecuted released a 40-feet container load of arms which they falsely claimed contained steel doors after allegedly collecting bribes.
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It was also revealed that documents including a bill of lading, a Form M and a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report were forged even as the suspects offered a bribe of N400,000 to an official of the Nigeria Customs Service attached to the Federal Operative Unit to influence the said officer not to conduct a “hundred per cent search on the 40-feet container with number PONU 825914/3.”
However, the Customs PRO explained that it was the four officers involved in the first case of importation of 661 pump action rifles that have been dismissed, adding that officers implicated in the second case involving importation of 440 pieces of rifles at Tin Can Island Port have only been suspended.
“I can tell you that the officers involved in the arms scandals both the one that happened at Mile 2 and the one at Tin Can have been dismissed and the suspects are facing prosecution. The whole cases of the arms are still in court this is the much I can tell you for now. All the suspects are under prosecution,” the Customs PRO said.
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