By ALEX AKAO
Monday, July 23, 2007

Daily Sun gathered that an alleged siphoning of over N28 billion government revenue by some Customs top shots was at the centre of the interrogation. The said amount was discovered to have disappeared from government’s accruable revenue records of the Customs between 2004 and 2006.

According to dependable sources close to the ICPC, the searchlight, which had been on the Customs headquarters since last February, revealed that the said amount was siphoned through the recycling of Federal Government duty waivers to some state governments and an alleged disappearance of 700 containers of overtime cargo from the Ikorodu terminal in Lagos.

It was discovered that on one occasion, a waiver granted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to Kebbi State government in respect of certain imports, was later used to clear other private goods through the Apapa, Lagos area command of the service, with the attendant revenue losses put at over N800 million.

The ICPC officials were also said to have confronted the Customs boss with “proven records” of notable seizures and the ensuing investigations, which were allegedly stopped on “orders from above” leaving the concerned investigating officers stupefied.

Additionally, the Justice Emmanuel Ayoola led Commission is said to have reopened the investigations of a whopping disappearance of over 700 containers of seized overtime cargo, while being transferred to Ikorodu terminal in a bid to decongest the Lagos seaports.

The deal, which was said to have led to the loss of over N2 billion Duty Paid Value (DPV) has generated controversy between the Customs comptroller General and former Transport Minister, Dr. Abiye Sekibo.
Daily Sun gathered that the scandal had led to the hurried transfer of certain officers allegedly involved in the deal, while others were unceremoniously retired.

Last week’s grilling of the Customs boss by the ICPC investigators was the second this year, with the first hinged on a petition by one Matthew Shelling, described as an insider by Customs sources.
The petition had given vivid details of multiple contract scams allegedly perpetrated by the Customs headquarters in respect of borehole drillings, facilities at the two Customs Academy and in the purchase of patrol boats.

Contacted, Special Adviser to the ICPC Chairman, Mr Folu Olamiti, would neither confirm nor deny the probe, saying: “Whatever we say now may jeopardize on-going investigations in that respect.”
Also speaking with Daily Sun on phone, the chief image-maker of the Customs Service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, denied knowledge of the investigation of his boss by ICPC officials.