Coordinator, Joint Border Drill Operations, North Central zone, Comptroller Mohammed Garba, has attributed most auto accident on Nigeria roads to use of imported expired tyres by mostly commercial transporters.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday on activities of the joint task force on anti-smuggling drive in the North Central zone within 18 days, Garba said that a total of 220 pieces of used and expired tyres concealed in a cleared container, which contained imported vehicles and spared parts, were seized.
“Most of the accidents on our roads are caused by the use of imported expired tyres by mostly commercial drivers. The tyres are expired tyres, and these drivers carry passengers with the used imported tyres and thus wasting lives and endangering lives of people”, he said.
The coordinator of Sector 3 of the joint border patrol also said that the seizure was among 56 seizures of different prohibited items, with total Duty Paid Value of N91.5 million, which include 1,433 bags of foreign rice concealed in bags of salt and watermelon.
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He said that others include 56 units of various types of used vehicles, 30 bales of second-hand clothing, 426 jeri cans of PMS of 25 litres, six drums of PMS, and 29 jeri cans of 25 litres of AGO.
The Customs boss said that the seizures were recorded around Chikanda, Kontagora and Jebba-Mokwa, and Alapa/Mandalla axis of the sector 3 areas of the North Central zone.
“Smugglers have now devised means of using tipper sand, Keke Napep, toilet papers, electronic gadgets, vehicle spare parts, salt and even go as far as using watermelon to conceal imported rice.
This security, economic and environmental saboteurs should know that any method/trick adopted or used will continue to be an effort in futility as they will always meet their waterloo, irrespective of technique they used. Sector 3 is always ready and will never be deterred to get them apprehended”, he said.
The Customs boss, who frowned at rate smugglers and their sympathisers’ attack officers of the joint border patrol team, said that two arrests had been made.
“These disgruntled elements attack our officers at will from carrying out their constitutional duties”, he said, adding that the officers were almost lynched with stones and machetes at Dogo-Ogbomoso axis and official vehicles were not spared.
He, however, said that such attacks would not deter the sector from performing its legitimate duties, warning the smugglers and their sympathisers to desist, “as that will no longer be tolerated”.
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