The decision follows claims of government service brutality against Nigerian citizens and cooperation in smuggling.
Additionally, the House instructed the Committees on Defense and Customs and Excise to examine military personnel’s participation in Customs patrols, making sure that their activities respect human rights and comply with the law.
Among the committees’ mandates are:
Restoring public confidence and defending Nigeria’s economic and national security interests require the Customs Service to improve oversight accountability and efficiency.
For future legislative activities, the committees have six weeks to submit their reports.
The House’s vote comes after reports of smuggling instances involving weapons and products entering the nation through its borders.
According to reports, a major contributing factor to the high levels of smuggling within the country is the alleged involvement of Customs officers and other border security personnel.
According to Naija News, during the plenary session, Rep. Sesi Whingan introduced a motion of urgent public significance, which led to the adoption of the House’s resolutions.
Section 4 (b, e, and f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which requires the NCS to collect taxes, stop smuggling, and secure Nigeria’s borders, was cited by Rep. Whingan in his motion.
He referenced accounts of such violence, such as the December 1, 2024, incident on the Badagry-Seme Expressway where Customs officers allegedly attacked two truckers, Taofeek Olatunbosun and Rafiu Abdelmalik, in cooperation with military soldiers.
“Residents and police had to step in to break up a standoff after the victims were suspected of recording smuggling activities, which resulted in threats against their lives,” he claimed.
The member emphasized that smuggling has detrimental effects on the economy, such as destroying local businesses, decreasing government revenue, encouraging unfair trade practices, and oversupplying markets with inferior and potentially dangerous goods.
He added that certain Customs Service officials’ activities go against the agency’s basic mission, damage public confidence, and cast doubt on the supervision of cooperative security operations involving military personnel.
However, that the NCS is yet to react to the allegations and the decision of the House.
According to Daily Trust, attempts to get comments from the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, proved abortive as he did not take the calls nor respond to WhatsApp and SMS messages.
Alleged Smuggling Despite Multiple Checkpoints
Speaking further at the session yesterday, Whingan expressed concerns that despite the presence of multiple checkpoints during the day, particularly in Badagry and other border communities in the nation, economic activities and legitimate trade are paralysed by excessive scrutiny and alleged extortion by Customs officers and other law enforcement personnel.
The lawmaker said: “At night, these same officers reportedly enable or turn a blind eye to rampant smuggling activities, undermining public trust and perpetuating economic hardship.”
He said small businesses such as rice farmers and poultry producers cannot compete with the influx of contraband goods, leading to job losses and impoverishment.
Besides, the lawmaker lamented that “the erosion of law and order in border regions like Badagry threatens community stability, leaving citizens vulnerable and disillusioned.”
The lawmaker expressed concerns regarding the purported involvement of Customs officials in smuggling activities and the employment of violence to intimidate citizens, which he believes present considerable threats to national security, economic stability, and the rule of law.
He emphasized that the integrity of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is vital for safeguarding Nigeria’s borders, promoting legitimate trade, and maintaining the nation’s economic and social welfare.
The legislator asserted that rectifying the identified shortcomings is crucial for rebuilding public trust and preserving the country’s sovereignty.
How I Attempted To Illegally Import 100 Bags Of Rice From Benin – Fisayo Soyombo
In February 2024, a popular investigative journalist affiliated with FIJ, Fisayo Soyombo, released a comprehensive report entitled “Undercover as a Smuggler.” This report indicated the potential involvement of Customs officials in smuggling operations at the borders.
Soyombo’s investigation was prompted by numerous complaints regarding the vulnerability of Nigeria’s borders. He reported that he endeavoured to clandestinely import 100 bags of rice from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria.
Soyombo said he succeeded in doing so “without the faintest security resistance, working with information from greedy Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) bosses who betrayed patrol teams by updating smugglers on their colleagues’ itinerary and the days and times when the roads were free, and daredevil smugglers with insider knowledge of the forests, the roads and Customs officers.”
In the report, the investigative journalist stated how he was allegedly linked with some top smuggling kingpins with high connections with compromised top Customs officials, who allowed him to smuggle the said quantity of rice into the country after they had extorted him.