A customs officer known as ‘Aboribo Custom’ and his colleagues at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Army have been caught on camera torturing two men whom they saw filming them at a particular location in the Badagry area of Lagos State.
The incident happened on Sunday and Taofeek Olatunbosun, according to a source who spoke in confidence with FIJ, is one of the men receiving multiple lashes from the officers’ whips.
For context, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, the FIJ’s founder and editor-in-chief, has been revealing the underhand smuggling trade enabled by corrupt officers in the NCS on his X handle. FIJ confirmed that this rattled the rank and file of the border patrolmen.
READ ALSO: Undercover as a Smuggler
Taofeek Olatunbosun being beaten by the patrolmen.
In the videotapes obtained by FIJ, the patrolmen mention some names including one ‘Ope’ as they torture Olatunbosun non-stop.
“The question wey I dey ask you be say, as d controller com now, as hin hep una mak you una eat, hin do bad tin? As Ope com hep una, na bad tin?” one of the patrolmen questions Olatunbosun.
FIJ found that the named ‘Ope’ is better known in the locality as ‘Ope Oloko’ and the patrolmen work hand-in-hand with him to facilitate his flourishing illegal cross-border trade. He was once a zonal chairman of the tricycle riders association in the Agbara-Badagry axis.
It was further learnt that the security operatives were set to have a meeting with Oloko and his cohorts on how to restrategise their operations, following a recent disruption caused by Soyombo’s investigation and regular social media exposés, when Olatunbosun was caught filming them.
“On Sunday, the Customs officials, Ope Oloko and his boys were to hold a meeting on how to resume their smuggling business. Their meetings are usually held around Fams Embassy Hotel,” a source told FIJ on Tuesday.
“This man who was beaten in the videos is a younger brother to a smuggler, too. He was at a filling station buying fuel. The filling station is very close to the customs checkpoint at Gbaji in Badagry. Then they approached him and asked why he was videoing them and giving information to Fisayo [Soyombo].”
After challenging Olatunbosun on why he was filming them, they whisked him into a nearby bush where they tortured him.
Taofeek Olatunbosun and the other man being beaten by the patrolmen.
“They took him to a nearby bush and beat him mercilessly. They threatened to beat and kill anyone who gives information to the journalist. As of yesterday, they were still looking for some people whom they thought were giving out information.
“And it might be bloody soon, because Badagry indigenes will soon say enough is enough; Ope is not an indigene of the area. As I speak with you, no one can go to the Seme Border with a phone in their hand. All the customs, military and police officers along that road are working for Ope Oloko.”
ABOUT OLOKO
Previously, Soyombo had written on X that Oloko had secured clearance from some elements within the NCS to be the only channel through which goods are smuggled via the Seme border to streamline their operations.
Soyombo wrote on March 27, “Good morning, Nigeria Customs Service. I am aware that in Idi-Iroko, ‘Ope Oloko’, a smuggler who was once zonal chairman of the tricycle riders association in the Agbara-Badagry axis, has been handed the authority, just like IBD Dende in Oja-Odan, to smuggle items into the country through the Badagry-Seme road.
“Your officers have recognised ‘Ope Oloko’ as the one to take money from all smugglers in the zone and remit Customs’ share so that the goods can be moved in.
“This arrangement is in full swing already. Last week when ‘Ope Oloko’ imported tons of rice with his private Hilux, he was escorted by four or five mobile Nigeria Police Force’s men. Only three days ago, he smuggled more than 300 cars loaded with rice into the country, after settling Customs officers.
“Nigerians like to know: will the NCS ever push for the legitimation of rice importation, considering the shortage of quality rice in the country, or will you continue profiting from this rice black market at the expense of the local economy?”
Despite these revelations, the NCS authorities maintained sealed lips on the involvement of its key field officers and operational commanders in smuggling operations.
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3 replies on “VIDEO: Customs Officers Act as Smuggler Ope Oloko’s Agents, Torture Suspected Whistleblowers in Badagry”
I want to remain anonymous, I’m indigene of the affected area, this man is saying and exposing the real truth and it is a fact with evidence.
You can’t buy a bag of rice or less in your private car custom officers on that route are ready to take it from you as a contraband but go to Alaba market in the morning or move on the axis from 1 am to 5 am, everywhere is blocked with smugglers vehicles number into hundreds loaded with rice, this is inhuman and unfair just because of the officers selfish interest at the expense of the masses.
This is serious than I thought. The truth is that the NCS are fully aware of these nefarious activities because they’re all culprits in the game. Now, these are the people who don’t want Nigeria to be a great country and they’ll be abusing the authorities of corruption. Punitive measures should be meted on all culprits no matter their high ranks.
Smuggling activities in Badagry, Seme, Idiroko, Oja Odan and other border towns around the country have been internalised.
I can only speak about Seme-Badagry.
I lived in Badagry for years and I can tell you for a fact that more than 70% of the residents of that local government as a whole survive only on various smuggling activities.
Government can only do the little within their purview but the bunch of responsibilities lie on the locals. The local chiefs and heads of various security personnel within the area are stakeholders in the business.
There will be so little or no gain at all from whistleblowing because the locals are in a way or another part of the cartel; they are alien to any government structure or policy…
I have a lot to say but let me peg it here for now.