SOJI AJIBOLA, Ibadan
Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Teslim Folarin, has said that the Senate will summon Controller General of Nigeria Customs Service Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) over invasion of some markets in Ibadan by customs officers.
Senator Folarin, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan at the weekend expressed displeasure over the activities of the customs, especially the recent midnight invasion of Bodija and Oja’ba food stuffs markets in Ibadan.
He said he received the news of frequent invasion of the foodstuffs market with a rude shock, and, thereby described the action of the customs officers as barbaric and uncivilized.
He said part of the statutory functions of the NCS was to arrest the smugglers at the various nation’s borders not inside the markets.
According to him, “I was not happy and because the Customs is a Federal Agency, what I intend to do this week is to raise it. I am going to speak with the leadership, we are not happy. It calls for a motion.
“We are going to invite the Customs CG to come and explain their action.“They cannot do that, if you are going to arrest people, you should go and stay at the borders. Do not come to the town.
“So, if I have rice that I want to share with people and you will come and intercept it. Or if I have Okada and you come and burst it the way they did to my house the last time. It is not done, it is very uncivilized.”