Brekete Family: Customs Seized My 350 Bags Of Rice, Widow Cries To Osinbajo

An aggrieved woman has accused men of the Nigerian Customs Service, NSC, of ‘illegally’ seizing no fewer than 350,000 bags of rice she had acquired for her business.

The woman, a widow, whose name was not mentioned made the accusation on Brekete Family Reality Radio Talk Magazine Program on Monday, in the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Founder of the programme, popularly referred to as ordinary president Ahmad Isa who hosted the Vice President alleged that the Customs Service has over time, given the President Muhammadu Buhari administration “a bad name”.

He urged Osinbajo to provide an emergency number which will enable entrepreneurs report issues regarding their goods being seized by customs.

Narrating her ordeal, the widow said: “On March 2nd 2018, I entered the market for the second time to buy rice.

“I got a trailer, we loaded it. As we were going, around Zaria – I bought the rice at Singa market- the Customs began to pursue us.

“The driver told me Customs were pursuing us, so I told him to stop if he is asked to stop.

“The driver stopped. The customs came and asked, ‘madam what are you carrying’, I answered that it is rice. They asked how many bags, I said 350 bags. He asked for my receipt and I gave him. He began to put the receipt in his pocket, but I collected it back. I told him it belongs to me.

“He said ‘do you know rice is contraband?” I said I didn’t know it is contraband because as I entered the Singa market, rice was everywhere. And people were buying it, taking it to Port Harcourt and everywhere, that was why I bought the rice.

“They said if I corporate with them, they will release the rice, but if I don’t, they will seize the rice. I said how do I do that, they said I should bring something.

“I gave the two of them 30,000, because the other money I had was the 50,000 for the driver. But they refused to collect it. He said I should go and bring 1,000,000 naira if not I will be taken to custom custody in club road and they did that, despite telling them I am a widow with six children.

“I begged them but they refused. They took me to their custody. We got there 10pm at night. But they sent us away. It was on a Friday.

“On Monday, I wrote a letter of appeal as directed by the comptroller. I gave DC Agbo 200,000 on hope that the rice will be released.

“I started going there every day till June. I didn’t have money for transportation to the extent that one woman there saw that I was sick. She told me to go to human right radio house and I will be helped with the issue.

“I met the ordinary president and he has been taking care of me till now,” she added breaking into tears.

In his response, Osinbajo said he is happy that the woman can identify those who were involved in the issue.

He further promised to ensure that the widow’s matter is resolved, adding that perpetrators of the act will be brought to book.

“We will look into this customs matter and we must resolve it. But one thing I want to say is that many times even where the head is ok, there are many people under who can do all sort of things

“We must make sure that all the people that did these things will be held responsible

“The particular people’s names have been mentioned, we will make sure they are held accountable.”

Osinbajo further announced that the federal government is set to launch the first housing for the poor in Nasarawa state in order “to provide for people who cannot afford it”.

“The plan is if you can pay 30,000 a month towards the mortgage, you should be able to own your own two bedroom house, or in some cases three bedroom.

“It is not too difficult and it is across the country. We are already in about eight states,” he said.

He assured that the mortgage will be monitored, adding that established structured will not be used.