The Idiroko command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is yet to return the N1.45 million some of its officers obtained from Adeboye Sowale, an Ogun State-based petroleum marketer.

This is after the command stated in a letter dated August 1 that it had commenced an investigation into the petition submitted by the marketer, detailing how the officers collected the sum from him in July.

“I still have not received any communication from the customs since they made the promise in August,” Sowale told EQ on Monday afternoon.

“We are almost at the end of November and no new update has been issued by them on the matter.

“I will, however, not give up until I get my money back.”

READ ALSO: ‘We’re Investigating’ — Ogun Customs Writes Petrol Marketer It Took N1.45m Bribe From

Receipt Showing a Part Payment Sowale Made at the Time

On August 5, EQ reported how some Customs officers in the Idiroko area 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 re-sold the fuel they had seized from Sowale to another petroleum marketer in Idiroko and forced Sowale to pay N1.45 million before the 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

In trying to avoid being implicated while receiving the bribe from the marketer, the officers used Shina, a civilian who residents 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 the Customs through his lawyers on July 22. In the letter, Sowale demanded a refund of N1.58 million for the fuel seized from him at the time and the N1.45 million payment he was forced to pay for his vehicle’s release.

READ ALSO: Ogun Customs Want Petrol Marketer’s Van After Taking N1.45m Bribe From Him

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

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

Sowale would hold on to his vehicle because he believed he had not committed any offence.
The post Ogun Customs Yet to Return Petrol Marketer’s N1.45m After 4 Months of Probe appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.