The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has today, 22 January, issued a statement in response to a video circulating on social media, to the effect that the Service is destroying properties at Seme Border.
According to the statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, DC Joseph Attah, such misleading commentary is capable of inciting members of the public against the Service.
Attah explained that the land in question, which belongs to the Service, was temporarily allocated to Clearing Agents with the understanding that the land will be relinquished by the occupants whenever the Service had need for it.
Going further, he intimated that the said land had been occupied by the agents for over ten years until now that the Service is expanding its barracks to accommodate more officers and men of the Command.
‘This is in line with the effort of Nigeria Customs Service Management to provide adequate accommodation for its officers so as to ensure effective delivery of their statutory functions’, the statement read in part.
Consequently, the occupants were given a notice about a year ago, and in line with the cordial relationship between both parties, the agents are complying with the notice and removing all their valuables including doors and windows.
‘It is therefore unfortunate for this unknown person to film people who are removing their own properties without coercion or hindrance to give it a narrative that can cause breach of peace’, the statement continued.
The NCS therefore called on all those who may come across the video to disregard its contents, as efforts are underway to track the fabricator.
