Business was paralysed yesterday in
Sango Ota, Ogun State, following a protest by traders after the raid of
the popular Sango Garage market by Customs operatives.
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) men seized 1,870 bags of rice, which they claimed were smuggled.
The protesters blocked the road leading to Sango, Ota and Ojuore from Old Tollgate. Many commuters were stranded.
The traders said they would not vacate the road, until their wares were returned.
But soldiers, policemen, naval and other security operatives restored normalcy to the area.
The rice, it was learnt, were seized by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, following a tip-off.
The seized items, it was gathered, were
allegedly smuggled into the country by some scrupulous importers who
sold them to the traders.
The traders’ leader, Alhaja Wemimo
Salako, alleged that the bags of rice were removed by Customs from their
warehouse inside the market.
Mrs. Salako said the Customs officers
came in the middle of the night and broke into their shops, alleging
they stole some money.
“They came in the middle of the night, broke into our shops and left with 15 trucks of rice and five Hilux truck load of rice.
“They broke our safe, stole our money and four of our members have landed in the hospital because of the shock,” she said.
One of the protesters, Mrs Ronke Adejare accused the Customs of dereliction of duty.
Another trader, Mrs. Kudirat Taiwo, said she lost 250 bags of rice and 190 gallons of (25kg) vegetable oil.
“N550,000, which was the proceeds of
sale from Tuesday, was taken away by the Customs officials. I want my
money back,” she said.
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