NewStats: 3,262,404 , 8,177,060 topics. Date: Monday, 02 June 2025 at 07:53 AM 5r572g

Customs subjecting Igbo travellers to hardship –Obi

• Laments multiple checkpoints, seizure of rice from families

Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of subjecting Igbo travellers to hardship by seizing rice meant for household consumption at its numrous checkpoints in the region.

Obi said this after he delivered a keynote address during the end-of-the-year meeting of Diamond Brothers Club, at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, yesterday.

He told newsmen that, some people visited him at his Onitsha home to complain about the hardship on people because of countless Customs checkpoints on roads, especially in the South-East.

Obi said to have first hand information about the complaint, he travelled by road from Lagos to Onitsha and described the situation as worrisome and counter-productive.

Speaking further, Obi wondered if the roads in Nigeria have become wharfs or borders to warrant many Customs checkpoints.

“We know that Customs police our borders to, among other things, guard against smuggling of banned goods, but, if they do this effectively at the borders, as obtainable in other countries, there would not be need for Customs checkpoints all over the place.”

Obi said he observed over 10 checkpoints from Ore to Onitsha and added that, in this time of recession, what was more worrisome was that they stopped travellers and demanded Customs papers, clearance papers for vehicles, including those bought several years ago.


“Even families going home for Christmas were stopped and the rice they were given as gifts in their offices or bought in the open market were confiscated under the presence that they were foreign rice.


Obi appealed to the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), “to look with interest” at what is happening and “to completely overhaul their mode of operations by targeting those importing banned goods at the borders and not innocent Nigerians trying painfully to eke a living.”

He commended Customs for their contributions to the growth and development of the country, but argued that, “taking their checkpoints to places that have or have no need of them is subjecting the people to underserved hardship

http://sunnewsonline.com/customs-subjecting-igbo-travellers-to-hardship-obi/

If they were effective, contrabands should be confisticated at the points of entry.

Such a shameful act by the customs men.

Even rice given as gift seized?? Ok,We are observing till it Magically reaches Our Turn.

Nice Move Mr. Obi..,but will they heed to this intelligent observation to make corrections?

sarrki:
Please the elite should tell the gullible ones That believe
This thrash that it's all lie.

The truth is most of the guys from that end wants to make more money so they are into alot of criminal act

So please don't tribalize it.

I pity ur life
U won't see where He said that rice given as gift to them were seized!!

Its so unfortunate when certified zombies goes blind when ever truth surfaces!

olaric:
Such a shameful act by the customs men.

The way Nigerians are treated at different points of entry.

I called it precautionary measures

No one should give it tribal coloration

Peroti:


I pity ur life

Its so unfortunate when certified zombies goes blind when ever truth surfaces!

MMM that collapsed is really showing on some people

ERockson:
Obi should keep shut. NDLEA should go and complement the effort of Nigeria custom in the south east. Drug and smuggling should be dealt with from the source and not the Ports

see ur mouth

ERockson:
Obi should keep shut. NDLEA should go and complement the effort of Nigeria custom in the south east. Drug and smuggling should be dealt with from the source and not the Ports

You are a patriotic Nigeria

God bless you

Lloydfather:
U must be a fool not to believed what Obi is saying. I don't know what u gworo sewing, lazy set of tribe, uneducated region, power mongers set of people take the south east & south south for.

Who are you quoting

Calm down the weather is cool

Peroti:

Certified zombie...did u read what Mr Obi said abt rice gift seized by custom...

Zombie who did dis to u??

Wailers and there hero

[/b]

sarrki:
[b]Please the elite should tell the gullible ones That believe
This thrash that it's all lie.

The truth is most of the guys from that end wants to make more money so they are into alot of criminal act

So please don't tribalize it.

sir, why Re they not in nothern roads? as in all northern roads are free of all this bullshit.....how on earth can you such useless act by custom? south east got the worst road ntwork, the worst fed allocation, and still when they struggle on their own to make ends meet you still want to scuffle it out from them by fire by force, what on earth could have beget this hatred pls?

sarrki:
Please the elite should tell the gullible ones That believe
This thrash that it's all lie.

The truth is most of the guys from that end wants to make more money so they are into alot of criminal act

So please don't tribalize it.

sir, why Re they not in nothern roads? as in all northern roads are free of all this bullshit.....how on earth can you such useless act by custom? south east got the worst road ntwork, the worst fed allocation, and still when they struggle on their own to make ends meet you still want to scuffle it out from them by fire by force, what on earth could have beget this hatred pls?

sarrki:
Please the elite should tell the gullible ones That believe
This thrash that it's all lie.

The truth is most of the guys from that end wants to make more money so they are into alot of criminal act

So please don't tribalize it.

sir, why Re they not in nothern roads? as in all northern roads are free of all this bullshit.....how on earth can you such useless act by custom? south east got the worst road ntwork, the worst fed allocation, and still when they struggle on their own to make ends meet you still want to scuffle it out from them by fire by force, what on earth could have beget this hatred pls?

Sincerely something needs to be done..

I traveled to Abuja last 2 weeks nd I can say there was no notice of customs personnel on the road but if u re traveling to the east, u will wonder between police nd custom whose job is it to check vehicle particulars, search cars nd check for criminals on the high way...

sarrki:


MMM that collapsed is really showing on some people

Oba of the Zom...........?

Hmm...
Mr. Obi owns Next cash and carry.
Customs is placed there because the South East usually is a point of storage /sale for smuggled products. I am not a tribalist, just speaking them facts my guy.

If the government says you should not bring in a particular product into its borders, and you do but get caught, you don't deserve pity. You deserve punishment. Be law abiding.

EDIT: ALL OF THE IDIOTS TELLING ME THAT CUSTOMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE BORDERS, I LMAO. STOP BRING STUPID PLEASE AND CHECK THE CUSTOMS ACT. PART OF THEIR JOB IS TO ALSO PREVENT THE MOVEMENT OF CONTRABAND GOODS IN THE COUNTRY. WAKE UP MY PEOPLE PLS

Why?

sarrki:


MMM that collapsed is really showing on some people

please get sense abeg

igbo always complain

This is so true . Witnessed it on the ore road to Benin. Its kinda painful. Being afraid of carrying like 2 or 3 bag s of rice to travel

All these top politicians always looking for means to create havoc and disagreement within the masses, yet some people will still believe this lie. How can custom officer seize A bag of rice, or how many bags were given as Christmas gift in our respective offices.... Except if you are carrying a full loaded rice.... But, this Christmas get as e be sha..... No hamattan, no banger, infact some people cant afford Christmas tree, they are using dongoyaro leaves.... Buhari... Contunu

I always knew that since the Customs foiled the importation of this plastic rice, it's a matter of days before the Igbos would say they are targeting them.

These idiots though, so customs ask, are you igbo? If yes bring your stuff.. Fools

bomb dey this man head

sarrki:
Please the elite should tell the gullible ones That believe
This thrash that it's all lie.

The truth is most of the guys from that end wants to make more money so they are into alot of criminal act

So please don't tribalize it.

You have reasoned from your anus again .