Eniola Peters.
Ahead of next week election, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, has seized some sacks of police uniform, cutlasses and tear gas canisters in Lagos.
Other items impounded by the service are belts, identity cards, berets and police badges.
Customs said that the uniforms were concealed in a Toyota Sienna space bus heading out of Lagos.
The Area Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Muhammed Aliyu explained that a suspect was already in FOU custody over the seizures.
The Customs boss explained that the uniforms were threat to national security, it was in wrong hands.
He noted: “The seizure is a threat to national security because the uniform can be used for kidnapping, Boko Haram or elections but generally, it threatens national security.
“We have the ranks of sergeants, inspector, the belt and the badges on the ranks. You can see that the identity cards have no name on them. They are only printed and later they will be affixed with any names they want to put on it. Not only the identity cards and the ranks were intercepted but also cutlasses, what will a supposed police do with cutlass? Have you ever seen a genuine policeman with cutlass? These are part of the atrocities they will use the uniform to commit.
“They were intercepted along the road on the highway and what we know is that it was caught on Lagos road en route another state. The seizure is of great concern because of national security. Also, the quantity alone is not the concern but also the havoc it will cause.
“For instance, one bundle of this uniform can accommodate about ten persons and Nigerians will complain about atrocities of Police not knowing they are not real Police but impostors.”
The comptroller, who further disclosed that the vehicle was intercepted on Lagos road, said the service would ensure that the offensive goods of such nature were not allowed into the country.
Muhammed said the service knows how to recover the remaining if there is any.
He warned those involved in the unwholesome practice to stop because the service would always be a step ahead of them.
“I am telling them those who are doing this unwholesome practice should stop it and the one they have in stock they should destroy it because we are coming for them,” he said.
