LAGOS — OFFICIALS of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who, last weekshowed journalists seized contraband, a the Murtala Muhammed Airport,Ikeja are now singing a different tune and say the goods were no longerillegally imported.

LAGOS — OFFICIALS of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who, last weekshowed journalists seized contraband, a the Murtala Muhammed Airport,Ikeja are now singing a different tune and say the goods were no longerillegally imported.

Speaking with Vanguard on the issue, yesterday, the PublicRelations Officer of the Service, Wale Adeniyi, said the goods were notseized as widely reported but detained until the manifest of the goodswas found.

On whether the manifest had been traced, Adeniyisaid because of the long holidays he could not answer in the positiveand promised to check and get back to Vanguard.
He said it was onlyafter the manifest had been checked that the management could determinewhich of the goods are contraband and therefore deserve to be seized,adding, however that the manifest was not for public consumption.

A separate source, however, told Vanguard that part of the consignment was collected during the public holidays.
Adeniyi denied the release of part or whole of the consignment, saying he was at the airport weekend and still saw them.

ConductingMaritime journalists around the heap of seized items last week,Comptroller-General of the NCS, Mr Jacob Buba, declined to name theowners of the goods or the plane that brought in the cargoes. He saidinvestigation was still ongoing.

Buba said the system was beingabused and that he would soon summon an emergency meeting between theService and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigerian (FAAN), Sky powerAviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and some notable airlinesoperating in the country.

“We have not made any arrest ordetention of suspected airlines involved in the shady import since thegoods landed unaccompanied, the airlines simply dropped the goods andflew back before their content could be uncovered,” he said, addingthat the value of the goods is yet to be determined.
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