The Customs Area Controller of Seme Border command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Aliyu Mohammed has taken steps to reclaim the command’s land that has over the years been encroached on illegally by “unscrupulous” individuals without due process or approval.
Mohammed who was speaking during the reclamation exercise said he was leaving no stone unturned to ensure that illegal structures on the land were demolished and those with approval re-directed to update their status by routing their request to the Comptroller General of Customs through the Customs Area Controller.
The CAC regretted how the Service land was overtaken by illegal occupants noting that the land which was Gazetted since 1978 by the Land Act decree of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would not be allowed to be treated with reckless abandon.
He warned all trespassers to keep off or lose whatever resources they expended on the land.
“The time to act is now or posterity will judge us wrongly”, he said.
The Customs Area Controller with the consent of the Customs headquarters is sanitizing the gate way corridor that used to wear a picture that does not give an international outlook nor meet the global standard compared to other international land borders within the West African sub region.
In a related development, Comptroller Aliyu Mohammed has disclosed that he is determined to ensure that miscreants and touts called “Kelegbes” who infiltrate the border and all the security agencies to perpetrate trans-border crimes are flush out.
To ensure the realization of this objective, the Controller launched “operation flush out touts from the border” that impersonate as officers or stand as imposters to deceive innocent travelers along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor yesterday in company of other relevant security agencies at the border.
The CAC while responding to the allegation from the representatives of the Nigerian Communities in the Republic of Togo used the opportunity to sensitize the gathering on the core functions of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
He explained further that most of the complains were due to ignorance of the customs laws, while some who deliberately chose to trade on prohibited items connive and patronize the touts “Kelegbes” to facilitate their illegal passage.
He restated that genuine and legitimate traders who are treated in the contrary has the option of the office of the Servicom/Public Relations Office (PRO) to lodge their complaints or proceed to the office of the CAC who operate an open door policy in order to facilitate legitimate trade through the corridor.
He warned genuine stakeholders and those who were ignorant before now not to transact business with any imposter that was not completely dressed in uniform with name tag attached.
The Customs Area Controller restated his resolve and commitment in sanitizing the border command to meet with other international requirement in terms of appearance and standards.
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