No fewer than 12 personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have been summoned for interrogation over their alleged role in the smuggling of refined petroleum products, especially the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, to some African countries.
The affected officials allegedly smuggled the products to Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic and other African countries.
In a letter dated June 8, inviting them to Customs headquarters in Abuja, the NCS said, “Sequel to an ongoing investigation directed by the CGC, the under-listed officers are requested to report at the CPU Headquarters on the 13th of June by 1100hours unfailingly.”
The summoned officers are; CSC G Almu, DSC GI Kadiri, ASC 1 UT Abdulhamid, ASC 1 HO Ibraheem, ASC 1 AI Hassan, ASC 11 S Magaji, ASC 11 Bashir I, IC Jalo A (OPS), AIC Usman H, AIC Igbo VP, AIC Ikpeme GM, AIC Garba S, AIC Nwumfe F, and CA Ismaila A.
The letter was signed by BS Sani, for the NCS CC, Police.
In 2022, a Superintendent of Customs (SC), Segun John Owombo, in a video that went viral, alleged that some of the NCS personnel together with smugglers stole the country’s refined petrol to neighbouring countries.
The officer, who was later arrested by the NCS, narrated how the smugglers at the Malabo Checkpoint on Belel Road, Adamawa State, were freed by his superiors.
The officer was in November, 2022, moved to Abuja from his detention in Adamawa State, to meet with the Comptroller General of Customs while in detention.
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Owombo was taken to Karu General Hospital in Abuja for mental tests but the result revealed the custom official has no obvious abnormalities.
“The above named is a staff of your organization who presented in the company of his colleague in our facility on the 6th December, 2022 for Psychological Assessment on account of undue suspicion of his colleagues.
“History, Mental Status Examination and Physical Examination carried out at presentation revealed no obvious abnormalities, however the Psychological Test administer on him which includes Symptom Checklist – SCL90 and Eyensick Personality-EPQ revealed Paranoid Ideation, Interpersonal Sensitivity and Obsessive Compulsive thought based on his scare in the symptom checklist.
“He is therefore recommended for both Medical treatment and Psychological intervention,” the result revealed.
Owombo, however, made another video on Saturday, reacting to the latest development about the 12 personnel being summoned to Abuja.
Speaking in Yoruba, the officer said, “All the officers at the Checkpoint have been summoned to report to Abuja. As they are going to Abuja, I want all Nigerians to watch out because their escapades one by one will be exposed – particularly, Controller Jalo and one Garba. There is also an OC Liaison, Adamu, he threatened to kill me with a gun; his name is not on the list, but he is also involved.
“I have evidence against all of them. And I am ready to expose them. All Nigerian clerics, please pray for me. Nigeria will be great again. I appreciate my Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service, Col Hammed Ali (retd.).”