Authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Beninois Customs
Service have agreed to join forces in order to curb the activities of
smugglers in their common border.
They made this resolution on Thursday during their meeting at the Idiroko border, Idiroko, Ogun State.
The NCS, which was represented by the Controller, Ogun State Area
Command, Haruna Mamudu, and his Beninese counterpart, the Regional
Director of Customs, Col. Pierre-Claver Tossou, said the time had come
for both countries to implement the Economic Community of West Africa
States protocol on transit of vehicles.
Mamudu recalled the meeting held in Abuja between the Comptroller-
Generals of both countries in which a Memorandum of Understanding was
signed, agreeing that used imported vehicles must be escorted to the
Nigerian border by Beninois Customs’ personnel, who should hand them
over to their Nigerian counterparts.
He said this was the only way both countries could discourage smuggling of used imported vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, through bush paths and ensure that necessary duties on them were paid to government.
He said, “Concerning the transit of vehicles that we are talking about, it means that the movement of Tokunbo
vehicles coming into the country from Republic of Benin, must be
coordinated. The Beninois Customs must escort them to our common border,
and then submit the manifest of the vehicles to us.
“Through the manifest, we will know the number of vehicles and the duty payable on them. That is the way to go.”
Mamudu said when that MoU was signed some months ago in Abuja, it was only obeyed for one week, and the Tokunbo vehicles smugglers had gone back to their old ways.
He, however, explained that the command had intensified its patrol on
bush paths used by the car smugglers, while some seizures had been
made.
He said, “Why will the smugglers pay duty in Republic of Benin and then refuse to pay duty in Nigeria?
“However, we are sounding a note of warning to all smugglers to
follow the path of honour, because any seizure made, is irreversible. If
the drivers of such vehicles are caught, they will also face
prosecution.”
Mamudu, who told his Beninois counterpart who came to represent the
Director-General of Customs, Col. Sezan Charles, to expedite action on
the agreement, noted that Nigeria would offer logistics assistance
whenever they needed it.
Tossou said Republic of Benin Customs and government were ready to
work with Nigeria on the transit of vehicles and other goods under
prohibition.
He said his country needed Nigeria if it was serious about development.
He said, “Our president has described Republic of Benin as the last
state in Nigeria. If Republic of Benin wants fast development, nothing
can be done without Nigeria.”
Tossou, however, appealed to Nigerian government to also consider Benin’s demand on importation of electronics.
He said, “We will cooperate with Nigerian Customs concerning the transit of Tokunbo vehicles into Nigeria. We need each other to develop our countries.”