The Nigerian Customs Service has been ordered by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Tuesday to return the bags of rice and money, which its officials seized from some shops in the Oja Oba Market in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Reports say officials of the NCS had invaded the market and carted away eight truckloads of rice and money found in the shops of the affected traders.
The operation was said to be carried out less than a month after they raided the Bodija International Market.
This development forced the Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Kola Balogun, to petition the upper chamber on behalf of the beleaguered traders last week.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and at its sitting on Tuesday, the committee described the act as unacceptable.
The panel then asked the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, represented by his Assitant Comptroller General, Garba Mohammmed, to ensure that the seized goods were returned to the affected traders within two weeks.
It also directed that their shops should be unlocked while money taken from the shops must be equally returned.
Members of the panel were unanimous in their condemnation of the NCS, insisting that its action was a breach of the Customs Act and the Executive Order signed by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2007.
They argued that the legislation empowers the agency to only impound smuggled goods, 40 kilometers radius to the border.
The Chairman of the panel, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, said, “Why do you allow the goods to come in through the borders and they find their way to the market of innocent citizens?
“These people are retailers; they don’t have the capacity to import. There are no reasonable grounds for your people to go to the market in the thick of the night. The market isn’t within 40km radius of the border.
“We are appealing to the CG Customs to return the goods taken in Bodija and Oja Oba markets.They should return those goods within 15 days. Tell the CG to unlock their shops so that they can continue to do their business.”
The action of the Customs was however defended by the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, Garba Mohammmed who said: “Section 147 of the Customs Act has empowered us, for the purpose of carrying out the powers given to police officers, to search premises where there is ground to suspect that contraband were concealed, whether day or night.
“The seizure was based on intelligence gathering. We don’t intend to put people out of business.”
Recall that since the borders between Nigeria and its neighboring countries were reopened, there have been reported cases of resumed smuggling in of contraband goods especially rice and frozen foods.
