Nigerian Customs Service has denied that the service seized vehicles belonging to a Senator in Kano.
This is in sharp contrast to confirmation by the Compliance Task Force Zonal Commander, Bala Dole, that the unit set up by the Controller General, Colonel Hameed Ali (retd), seized 223 vehicles, 13 of which belong to a senator from Kano State.
Dole in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Monday, said the vehicles, belonging to the unidentified senator, were 12 new Toyota Hilux and one Land Cruiser Jeep.
Dole, who declined to name the said senator, said the 13 vehicles were trailed from Maigatari in Jigawa State, following an intelligence report, indicating they were smuggled into Nigeria via land borders.
Reacting on Thursday, Joseph Attah, Customs Public Relations Officer, in a statement presented what he termed “the facts”.
“That the Operatives of NCS Compliance Team, based on credible intelligence, trailed the movement of some smuggled vehicles from Maigatari, Jigawa State to a house at Magaji Rumfa, GRA Kano.
“On the 7th February, 2017, eleven (11) vehicles, 10 Hilux and one (1) Land cruiser jeep were retrieved from the house at Magaji Rumfa GRA, Kano and taken for detention at the HQ of Customs Area Command Kano.
“That the officers discovered there were no occupants in the house, hence the gate was forced opened to retrieve the smuggled vehicles.
“That investigation into the smuggling of the vehicles is still on to establish the true owner”, he said.
