Senate To Summon Controller-General Of Customs Over Oja-Oba Market Invasion

The Nigerian Senate has revealed its intentions to summon the Controller General of Nigeria Customs, Colonel Hammed (rtd) Ali over the recent invasions of the Ibadan market by men of the Nigerian Customs.

According to Oyo Affairs, the Senator representing Oyo state Senatorial district in the red Chamber cum chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Teslim Folarin, disclosed this to newsmen on Saturday night during his Iftar (fast-breaking) with members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by their Chairman, Alhaji Ismail Ademola Babalola.

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Folarin who described the invasion of the Ibadan markets as shocking barbaric and uncivilized declared that the Senate is greatly displeased over the midnight invasion of Bodija and Oja Oba markets in Ibadan by Customs officers.

Folarin who said that he has been discussing the matter with the leadership of the Senate advised customs to arrest smugglers at the borders and not within the town.

Recall that officers of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU), Zone A had in April invaded Bodija market where about eight truckloads of rice were carted away in the raid. Similarly, men of the FOU Zone A had in the early hours of Saturday invaded Oja Oba market in Ibadan, where six truckloads of rice were also carted away.

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He said, “I was not happy and because the Customs is a federal agency, what I intend to do this week is to raise it.
“I am going to speak with the leadership, we are not happy. It calls for a motion.

“We are going to invite the Customs Controller-General to come and explain their action. They cannot do that, if you are going to arrest people, you should go and stay at the borders. Do not come to the town.

“So, if I have rice that I want to share with people, you will come and intercept it. Or if I have Okada and you come and burst it the way they did to my house the last time. It is not done; it is very uncivilized.”