Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service Sokoto/Zamfara Command have been praised for rejecting a N1.5 million bribe from three suspects arrested for their involvement in railway track vandalism.
The Comptroller of the Command, Kamal Mohammed, disclosed this in a press briefing held on Monday, June 10, 2024, in Sokoto.
According to Mohammed, the suspects are members of a notorious cartel specializing in railway vandalism.
“On June 8, our officers intercepted a 20-footer truck containing vandalized railway tracks along with three suspects,” he said at the press briefing.
“They couldn’t provide evidence from the Federal Ministry of Transport and instead offered a bribe of N1.5 million, with an advance cash offer of N300,000. Out of patriotism and integrity, the officers chose the path of honour by detaining them at the command headquarters.
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“As we are all aware, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is the agency mandated to secure critical national assets. Conforming with the CGC’s policy thrust of collaboration, the Area Command will hand over the suspects, truck, its contents, and the sum of N300,000 cash to the commander of the NSCDC Sokoto Command for further investigation and prosecution.”
Similarly, the Command intercepted 11,270 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Kamal attributed to the service’s effort to curtail smuggling and economic sabotage of petroleum products.
“In compliance with the CGC’s matching order to seal up all routes used for the smuggling of petroleum products, the Zone ‘B’ Whirlwind tactical team, with reinforcements by officers and men of the Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, intercepted 11,270 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.”
He stated that in line with extant laws and the approval by the CGC, the seized product will be auctioned to the public.
Muhammed noted that maritime and cross-border smuggling of PMS harms the overall supply chain of the product, in addition to the possibility of funding criminal activities with the proceeds.
