Donkey Skin
NO less than 3 officers of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Command have been indicted over the export of Donkey skin worth millions of naira.
A probe panel was instituted by the Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali to unravel the circumstances surrounding the export trade after the first one was disbanded for compromising itself.
Its report will soon be decided upon by the Comptroller General; an action which may lead to the rustication of some officers at the MMIA including its top management. Already the Area Controller, Mrs Shoboiki has been relieved of her position .
A large scale export cargo has been going on at the Airport slipping off the eagle-eyes of officers, an act which was said to have been masterminded by the management of the command.
The export cargo has always been facilitated with the aid of officers in charge who bribe their way to check them in as luggages. However, luck ran out of the cartel in uniform when the officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) acting on a tip-off (Intelligence) intercepted the dollar spinning cargo almost at the final stage of departure.
While tongues are wagging over this smuggling ring at the International airport, some officers have been arrested and detained while the former Controller was interrogated severally on her alleged connivance. Some officers queried are those in charge of Export as well as that of the Tarmac.
Investigations revealed that the Assistant comptroller in charge of the Tarmac was said to be the liaison behind the export of this product, and said to be fronting for the command’s boss. When interrogated by the first panel, he told the members that he could not do such if he did not sent or get the tacit support of the Customs Controller.
To prove his case, the officer in charge of the Tarmac had revealed that the CAC had allegedly given him an Account Number where he lodges the proceeds. He was said to have presented the statement of account to prove the lodgments over time.
Arising from this scandal, an earlier probe panel headed by Deputy comptroller General (DCG) in charge of enforcement, Mr Chidi to unravel this illegal Exportation in collaboration with officers showed that the panel was compromised as it was accused of receiving millions of naira from the Customs boss at the command to influence the panel’s report.
When the Chidi report was presented to the comptroller General, he rejected it. He consequently set up another panel headed by Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Dahiru in charge of Enforcement to revisit the case. Some of the dramatis personae have threatened to bring in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe further into the case, as it is deemed to be an economic fraud.
Donkey skin is one of the products prohibited for export by the Federal Government. For each packet, a $10,000 USD profit was made, an insider disclosed while for this particular seizure made, a loss of more than $60,000 USD was also recorded.
When asked to know the current state of the case, the Image maker of the Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Compt Joseph Attah said Abuja is handling the issue and pleaded that we wait for the outcome of the investigation.
Asked whether it is not proper to suspend the Area Controller so as not to influence the panel’s report, he said there was no need for that yet. According to him, the on-going probe will be holistic, and will bring anyone culpable to book. “The panel is on it, investigation will be thorough”, he stated.
Attah revealed that investigations have also shown that these donkeys are slaughtered in an area in Saki, where the business is planned and executed by those behind it.
He said seizure has been made and investigations wou