Why customs seized senate’s N298m SUV

DETAILS have emerged as to the reasons behind the seizure of the bullet proof Range Rover Sports Utility vehicle (SUV) belonging to the National Assembly by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in January.
The man who imported the car, Tokunbo Akindele, who gave details of the issues with the car in an affidavit worn to on January 25, 2017 in the High Court of Lagos State indicated that he had imported two Range Rover SUVs into the country in 2015 through a company, Hizmack Incorporated.
The two Range Rover 2014 model cars had chassis number SALGV3TF3EA190243 and SALGV3TFXEA178445 were issued the End-User Certificate by the Office of National Security Adviser dated February 23, 2017.
He claimed in the affidavit that only one of the cars was sold to the National Assembly after its clearance.
He also claimed in the affidavit that Hizmack introduced to him a Customs licensed agent, named one Latif Olajide, whom he paid the required duties to aid the clearance of the vehicles.
On clearing the vehicles, he said that he sold one of it to the National Assembly, but that he was shocked to receive a call from a representative of the National Assembly on January 13, 2017 who told him the car had been seized by the Customs for allegedly parading fake Customs papers.
He said in the affidavit that he had no knowledge that the documents used by Olajide to clear the vehicles were fake and that he had paid the correct charges given him by the Customs Clearing agent.
“I had no knowledge that the documents used in clearing the cars were forged before I sold the car to the Nigerian National Assembly neither did I authorise any person including Mr Olajide to forge the documents required to clear the cars,” Tokunboh Akindele said in the affidavit.
Having submitted the same affidavit to the National Assembly to intimate them of his innocence in the matter, the legislative institution was then said to have contacted the Customs Service and
intimated it that the seized Range Rover Car belonged to it.
On further investigations, following the discovery of the management of the National Assembly that the vehicles were seized due to failure to pay requisite duties, the Assembly decided to repudiate the contract with Akindele.
In a letter dated February 15, 2017, the management of the National Assembly washed its hands off the imported SUV due to the failure of the importer to deliver on schedule.
The letter addressed to Hizmack Incorporated, and signed by Arc Ojo O.A, Secretary for Procurement, Estate and Works for the Clerk to the National Assembly, the NASS Management said that the car was no longer needed.

The letter titled: “Re: Range Rover Chassis No: SALGV3TF3EA190243,” reads: Kindly recall your recent complains about your inability to retrieve the above vehicle (Range Rover Black Wheel Base 2014 Model) from the Nigerian Customs Service, which is meant to be one of the official convoy vehicles of the Senate.
“Despite our efforts to assist in retrieving same, which failed to yield the desired result, we are therefore, constrained to inform you that due to your inability to deliver within the time frame, the
vehicle is no longer required.”
However, the importer, Akindele had continued to pursue the vehicle as indicated in his letter addressed to the Comptroller General of Customs and dated March 14, 2017.
In the letter, Akindele asked the Customs boss to avail him the requisite amount to be paid on the car.
He stated that despite having lost money because he was duped by the Customs agent engaged he engaged the clear the vehicle in the first instance, he was willing to pay the required charges and get the vehicle cleared.
Last week, former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, had moved a motion on the senate floor asking the chamber to probe the car saga.
He had made reference to the report by an online medium which claimed that the seizure of the car was responsible for the imbroglio between the senate and the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali retired.
According to Ndume, the Range Rover vehicle allegedly belonging to Saraki was seized because of an alleged failure of the Senate President to pay the required import duty of N74million on the bullet
proof Jeep said to be worth N298million.
He tendered a printed copy of the report by the online medium which reads: “Our investigators discovered that Nigerian Customs officers in Lagos had on January 11, 2017, intercepted and impounded a Range Rover SUV, which carried documents that claimed its chassis number was
“SALGV3TF3EA190243.” Customs sources told our correspondent that the value of the car was N298 million, which meant that customs duty of N74 million should have been paid on the car.”