Following reports in some sections of the media suggesting that the three batches of arms illegally imported into the country within the last eight months of this year was imported by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Maazi Nnamdi Kanu and his group, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tincan Island command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Uche Ejesieme has cautioned officers of the service and the media against making insinuations capable of jeopardizing the course of the ongoing investigations.
Ejesieme who made this call in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos Tuesday posited that “it will be very unprofessional for customs to start making certain insinuations that at the end of the day cannot be empirically verified”.
He recalled that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) while addressing the journalists on the seizure in Lagos last week said that investigations of this nature need not to be done half-hazardly adding that investigations were usually painstaking more so as it affects a sensitive situation as illegal arms importation.
According to him”,I wouldn’t know their source of information. I wouldn’t know where it is originating from. What we know is that as trained officers, we are guided by our rules of engagement and we have our standard operating procedures, meaning that at any point in time, if there is any need to call the media to intimate them about any breaking issue, that we will not waste a minute longer than necessary to do the needful. We are not going to hide any information from the media particularly because of the Freedom of Information Act.
“So, we are trying to be very careful, don’t forget that the CGC has a Military Police background and he wants to be very thorough in whatever he does. So, investigations as we speak are ongoing in most of these cases and at the end of the day, whatever result of the investigations might be, we make it available to the media.
“So, I expect some level of professionalism from the media in doing what they are doing”.
He recalled hearing the Comptroller-General of Customs saying that two of their officers found culpable in the case of the 1,100 rifles seized recently at the command had been arrested and some that demonstrated patriotism in the previous arms seizures had been promoted as he believed that those who were involved in making remarkable seizures of this magnitude stand the chance of being elevated.
The command’s spokesman assured that customs was not going to hide any information adding that the service would continue to ensure partnership between it and the media and indeed all Nigerian public for the benefit and in overall interest of the country.
On whether there is any other development on the seizure of the 1,100 arms, he said,”Whatever we tell you now will amount to preempting investigations and we wouldn’t want to say anything that will jeopardize investigations. These are very sensitive issues, so, let us just be very patient, as soon as they are done with investigations, the CGC like he promised will also oblige the media with all the information you need”.
It will be recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service within the last eight months had intercepted and seized some cache of arms illegally imported into the country from Turkey, the first totaling 661, the second, 440 and the last totaling 1,100, a development that got both the citizens and the government worried.
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