The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has denied allegations of extortion leveled against its officers by a U.S.-based returnee, Oke Adhekegba.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Usman Abdul, disclosed that an investigation has been initiated to uncover the truth behind the claims.
Comptroller Effiong Harrison, who heads the MMIA Command, explained that the passenger in question arrived with 10 pieces of luggage containing numerous personal effects.
These included 15 pairs of footwear, 22 bottles of perfume, 12 bags, and several new clothes.
Harrison stated, “These items were assessed at $1,948.15 USD upon proper valuation. Using the prevailing exchange rate of ₦1,598.22, the value in naira amounted to ₦3,113,574.00.”
He further stated that the items had a Duty Paid Value of ₦1,000,004, and that the appropriate customs charges had been calculated and paid.
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“In line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act ((NSCA( 2023, the applicable charges which are Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) charge, Import Duty, Surcharge (SUR), ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) Levy, and Value Added Tax (VAT) were computed, amounting to ₦1,000,004.00, which has since been duly remitted into the Federal Government’s coffers (Copy attached),” Harrison said.
He noted that the luggage was examined by two officials of the Service, Chief Superintendent of Customs, KO Adebayo and Assistant Superintendent of Customs I CC Ugboma.
Harrison emphasized the Command’s commitment to accountability and ethical conduct.
“The MMIA Command does not condone unethical behaviour or compromise of standard operational procedures by its personnel or members of the travelling public,” he said.
While confirming that a full-scale inquiry was underway to establish the facts, Harrison reassured the public of the Command’s openness to scrutiny and collaboration with stakeholders.
He underscored that payment of duty on dutiable goods is a legal obligation and would be enforced without prejudice.
“Duty should be paid on dutiable items as prescribed by the law,” he reiterated.
He concluded by affirming that the MMIA Command would continue to support smooth and legitimate travel and trade, maintaining zero tolerance for misconduct or any form of procedural abuse at the nation’s ports of entry.
