Adeboye Sowale, the Ogun State-based petroleum marketer some Customs officers took N1.45 million from and “accused of smuggling fuel”, has told FIJ that he was done fighting them.

Sowale made this known in a telephone interview with FIJ on Wednesday.

“I am done fighting the Customs over the N1.45 million they collected from me in July 2024,” Sowale said.

“I can never get justice, so why should I continue to fight them? I have lost hope. I can never get the N1.45 million and the fuel they seized from me that was worth N1.58 million back.

“It is also quite sad that despite the letter the Customs sent to my lawyer in August 2024, stating that they were investigating the matter, no further information or finding was communicated to me. They have gone permanently silent.

READ ALSO: Ogun Customs Yet to Return Petrol Marketer’s N1.45m After 4 Months of Probe

“So, there is no point stressing myself any longer. I can never get justice. I am done expecting any fruitful outcome on my matter with the customs.”

On August 5, FIJ reported how some Customs officers in the Idiroko area of Ogun accosted Sowale who was transporting 2,200 litres of petrol from one of his filling stations. He was moving the product from a filling station that had petrol in abundance to another that had none.

After interrogating Sowale, the officers labelled him a smuggler and seized the fuel worth N1.58 million and the van conveying it. This happened after Sowale had shown them the waybill he had with him during the incident.

In the end, the Customs officers resold the fuel they had seized from Sowale to another petroleum marketer in Idiroko and forced Sowale to pay N1.45 million before his van could be released to him.

READ ALSO: Ogun Customs Seized Marketer’s 2,200L of Fuel, Labelled Him a Smuggler, Took N1.45m Bribe From Him, Then Sold the Fuel to Another Station

Trying to avoid being implicated while receiving the bribe from the marketer, the officers used Shina, a resident identified as a thug, as the recipient of the money.

Two of the officers were later identified as one Mukaila Lawal and one Mr Phillips.

The incident prompted Sowale to petition Customs through his lawyers on July 22. In the letter, Sowale demanded a refund of N1.58 million for the fuel they seized from him at the time and the N1.45 million payment he was forced to pay for his vehicle’s release.

When FIJ contacted Phillips via phone calls and text messages for comments on the incident and at the time, he chose not to respond.

READ ALSO: Ogun Customs Seized Marketer’s 2,200L of Fuel, Labelled Him a Smuggler, Took N1.45m Bribe From Him, Then Sold the Fuel to Another Station

Instead, Phillips reached out to Shina to get Sowale to return the van to the Customs office in Idiroko.

Sowale would, however, hold on to his vehicle because he believed he had not committed any offence.

On August 1, the Idiroko Command of the Nigeria Customs Service wrote a letter to Sowale’s lawyer, promising to investigate the incident and provide its findings as soon as possible.

They have, however, failed to communicate their findings to Sowale six months after sending the letter to the marketer.