By Matthew Denis
A major rice merchant in Kwara State, Mount Olives Nigeria Limited has vowed to institute legal action against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over raid of his warehouse in Ilorin.
Men of the Nigeria Customs Service had in the wee hours of Thursday, stormed the warehouse of the rice merchant and allegedly seized about 704 bags.
Speaking in A telephone chat with Pilot Business, the Head of Human Resources of the company yesterday night, Mr. ThankGod Chinedu, said the Chairman of Mount Olive Nigeria Limited, Mr. Demola Julius has concluded plans to seek legal redress over the issue.
According to him, “Our Chairman has asked the legal unit to give him a week to sort out things as prominent Nigerians are interested in the issue.”
Chinedu had told this medium on Friday that the NCS is claiming to have confisticated 688 bags, alleging that the operatives carted away 704 bags of rice from the warehouse.
“They took away 704 bags but when we went to Ilorin office, they claimed to have seized only 688 bags.
” The NCS officers had earlier said that they were carrying out the operation following tip off that the company had bags of foreign rice in stock. But, when they (Customs) realised that it was local rice, they accused us of re-packaging,” he further said.
Earlier, last Thursday the Chairman of Mt. Olives and his staffers led a protest against action of the Customs officer, at the Oja-tuntun market.
The protesters accused men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of carrying out unlawful arrest, detention and seizure of rice believed to be locally produced in Nigeria.
Speaking with newsmen during the protest, Julius said he has been supporting the cause of Nigeria rice to grow the economy in the last four years but unfortunately men of the Nigerian Customs have continued to threaten his legal business.
He said, “Men of the Nigerian Customs Service came to my warehouse on Wednesday around 2am in the night and broke my door, tied my security man down and carted away my rice totalling 704 bags of Nigerian rice.
“I have over 10 trailers of the rice inside my warehouse that are purely Nigerian rice.
“Ask any producer of rice in Nigeria, Mount Olive Nigeria Ltd have been supporting them because I am the distributor of Nigerian rice in the whole South West and Nigeria customs just came to frustrate me. Customs men attacked my company unlawfully and that is why I’m protesting with all my staff for Nigerian government to come to my aid.
“Nigerian Customs Service, Kwara State command should release all my bags of rice unconditionally and l urge the Presidency to look into the matter.
“I have branches all over the country, my company is in 23 locations across the country they should come and investigate. We are ready to cooperate with whoever wants to come and investigate us.
“But here I am being frustrated by the men of Nigerian Customs. They should stop frustrating legitimate business owner like me,” he said.
When this medium contacted the spokesperson NSC in Kwara State Command, Mrs. Stella Okpo, confirmed that some bags of rice were seized and said investigation is still ongoing on the matter.
