– We are working hard to remove them – FOU zone A
Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — Contraband cargoes seized by the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, have taken over Toyin Street and other adjoining streets in and around the offices of both FOU and the NCS’s training college in Ikeja area of Lagos.
The development may lead to a gridlock if the seized vehicles are not urgently removed and relocated as vehicular movement has been impeded to a large extent in that axis.
The Customs warehouses and other authorized spaces for this category of cargoes are filled to their brim as every available space has been taken over.
A visit by this reporter to the office of the Unit and the training College of the agency in Lagos showed that virtually all the streets linking the Customs offices have been taken over by seized containers and other articulated vehicles carrying prohibited imports.
A total of 18 trucks and container laden vehicles carrying various prohibited items were counted as more seized items were still being brought in from various locations.
It was gathered that while some of the seized items were either under-declared or concealed, others were outrightly smuggled.
The seized items included over 9000 bags of parboiled rice, vehicles of various brands, vegetable oil, bales of used clothing and shoes, motor bikes, and other banned cargoes.
Reacting to the development, Controller of the FOU, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, admitted that the Unit is challenged with regards to space to accommodate these seized items.
Ejibunu also said the there were more of such vehicles on the streets before the visit by Sweetcrudereports adding that the number has reduced as some of them have been removed from where they were parked so as not to hinder the free flow of traffic.
He said that he will see the Commandant of the Customs Training College with a view to asking for space inside to college.
He stated: “Yes we are doing what we can to clear the roads of the seized vehicles; they were even more than that. The challenge we have is space constraint.
“When you get to the warehouse, you will see for yourself but we cannot because of the fact that we lack enough space and allow criminals to continue with their activities.
“We will still continue to make arrest; we have space constraint, agreed, but we are doing all within our power to ensure that we move these vehicles off the streets.
“We removed some this morning; I will try and liaise with the Commandant and see if he can give us a space to move some of these things into the training college so that we do not cause traffic situation in the area.”
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