With Adetunji AyoBrown
In the dead of night, 2:00am local time, movements and sounds of security men forcing their way into warehouses came to many residences as surprise. As described by eye witnesses, scenes that will make Oscars or even Grammy awards any day and not an exaggeration of this event was narrated. It is yet to be seen event because it’s yet to be performed as a movie or as thriller title from Hollywood and Bollywood, not even from our own Nollywood acts. In a commando style a combined team of armed personnel of Customs and soldiers, numbering over 50 went to the markets in six Hilux vans and a truck and broke into the warehouses to cart away what they seem to consider as ‘the enemy’. I’m talking of the poor man’s food, rice, 704 bags of the government enemy, which for clarity of expression I call the common man’s saviour. ‘The Nigerian Customs Midnight Raid’ was the first title that flashed across my mind on hearing the report in the news.
When did rice become an enemy of the state?’ is the question market men and women and residents of the state, particularly those of Ilorin were asking till day break on that day. Disruptions of midnight rest of many was not just the case, and unfortunately too, was not necessary. Yes, agreed that smuggling of any type is not good and should be condemned by all. But midnight raiding of market shops without prior invitation to owners of those shops are rather not it and also condemnable no matter how you want to look at it. It is outrightly condemnable and unacceptable.
Ilorin Mount Olive, scene 1 episode (?) – as titled by many residents around ‘Oja Tuntun, a market in Ilorin West Local Government Area, who claimed that this was not the first time such was happening, where citizens’ rights will be trampled upon by the Customs Officersin the name of anti-smuggling war.
The scenario located Kwara in the North Central State of Nigeria, has many Nigerians as part of the casts of a not really funny movie as scripted by the Nigerian Customs Service and Nigerian Army men. One would wonder why the muscle flexing so to say, over lifeless and helpless bags of rice.
You can wait as long as necessary for the conclusion to come, because when it does, it comes in all totality.
If it is lawful, ‘why the midnight raid?, is another question people still don’t have an answer for except responses of the Nigerian Customs Services spokesperson in Ilorin, Mrs Susan S. Okpo, who while confirming the incident said investigation into the matter was ongoing, which confirms that she too was surprise about the news. Due process is part of internal security matters, because two wrongs don’t make a right. Causing unnecessary nuisance because of what they perceive as war against smuggling of rice into the country which as a matter of fact passed under their nose at the borders, food is rather not part of the job in any sane environment, check it. I mean why break into shops and warehouses?
A million bags of rice inside a shop inside a city in any state of the federation needs no battalion to confiscate, even the idiot knows that. Time will tell, who knows maybe their offices and superiors were also surprised at the other end too. To many Nigerians, no speciality is required to confiscate food items, even in Aba market. It was learnt that the security agents allegedly invaded the premises and forced open the gate leading into the depot to gain access.
The raid, according to news reports happened on Sunday at about 2am and was said to have been carried out in a commando style in conjunction with some men of the 32 Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army Sobi, Ilorin. But why raid the shop at night? The market men and women, including Chairman of Mount Olives Ilorin, Mr. Julius Demola, all described the raid by the Customs Service as not only unlawful but also illegal.
Many are still wondering why the military and paramilitary personnel will conscript innocent security men on duty and many other ‘innocent’ layabouts to load the bags into the trucks they drove into the warehouse and took same to the office of the Customs in Ilorin.
The entrepreneur who alleged that his Manager, Mr ThankGod Ugwuegbu, and two other unnamed staff of his company who had simply urged the officers to take proper inventory of the goods being taken away, were locked up for over 12 hours “without food or water” as if they were criminals.
Is this how the Kwara APC and its Federal Government will be paying back the electorate? Many Nigerians are still tweeting. Because bags of food and not drugs that already found its way into the market needs no muzzling. Creating more poverty on the land; making the matter worst in an already impoverished nation and traders as well as other Nigerians in the name of promoting local rice that not even available.
Adequate and effective border policing should have been a better option for a right thinking government. But instead, without any sentiment, I agree with Nigerians who think food availability is every human right, irrespective of how it comes: it is about survival.
To some Nigerians, considered as being sentimental, the policy seems to be directed towards crippling the ‘economic power of southerners’. Accusing the Muhammdu Buhari led APC government of anti-southerners economic growth in the anti-smuggling war, especially the anti rice importation campaign. Taxpaying and law abiding citizen like those whose goods were seized need not be subjected to such treatments in the hands of a responsible government even if what the Customs suspect is true. At least there is a more decent and lawful way to go about it.
Still querying the rationale behind such midnight raid, if it is not a foul play in hundred percent mode, what else is it? Let the public see and know what you are about to do. He who must come to justice, we all agreed must come with a clean hand. Commando approach because of rice is not tactical.
Full scale investigations into the matter is a must for the security agencies involved to clear their names. Many are of the opinion that when Nigerians smuggle, who are they selling it to, if not other country men and women? A billion naira question Nigerians are asking is, why put innocents people through the rigour of loading and unloading and subjecting them to suffering untold hardships. Why should they go through this in the hands of overbearing and overzealous security agents and their agencies.
How would entrepreneurs survive this kind of maltreatment? While the country is canvassing investments in many areas of the economy and a conducive environment for genuine indigenous investors, there is need to caution security operatives against alleged breaches of the constitutional rights of Nigerians because we are supposed to be in a democratic civilian government and not a draconian regime.
