Matilda Omonaiye/
A Nigerian banker and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) are at war after her mini-boy bag and a pair of Sneakers were seized, when she refused to pay N175, 000 as ‘duty charge’ for the items on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
As the exchange of words between Mrs Adaeze Udenzi and the National Public Relations Officer of NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, continues to spread on social media, some citizens have called out the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, over the exposé of alleged questionable activities of officers, who asked the woman to pay N175, 000 duty on one pair of shoes and a mini-boy bag when she refused to see a superior that travellers were asked to see privately.
NewsmakersNG learnt that two aircrafts landed at the Airport with about 600 passengers, on the day Mrs Udenzi came in from London at about 4:30 am with a pair of Sneakers and one mini-boy bag allegedly bought at the duty-free shop in Heathrow, but she said that she was the only person that was put through the ordeal of waiting for hours while other travellers with heavy suitcases passed without scrutiny.
After Mrs Udenzi made her grievances public, the NCS spokesman issued a statement justifying the action of the officers who seized the bag and the pair of shoe they perceived to be expensive items.
In a swift reaction, Mrs Udenzi, condemned the statement by Customs…
She stated: “My attention has been drawn to a very poor response by the PRO of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr Joseph Atta, in reference to my public outcry at the selective punishment meted on me being only ONE of 600 passengers in 2 aircrafts that landed at Abuja airport on that faithful morning of October 18, 2019. He, in fact, ended up implying to the public that I did not lie and I am relieved with that. Mr John has gone on to sell his lies to blogs who are publishing their lies with the intention to hide the evils that they do every day at that airport.
I have a few questions to ask the PRO of Nigerian Customs Service Mr Joseph Attah so Nigerians can see why I decided to stop keeping quiet about the happenings at our airports:
1. How many passengers were on the British Airways flight and the SECOND airline that landed at about 4.30 am at Abuja International Airport?
2. How many passenger’s suitcases did you search on the 2 flights that landed at the same time on that day?
3. Are you telling Nigerians that it is only ONE canvas and ONE boy bag that was seized and supposed to earn duty for the federal government on this day out of over 600 passengers in 2 aircraft that landed at the same time? Note that I was among the first 10 passengers out of about 600 passengers in 2 aircrafts that arrived at the Customs point on that faithful day and the VERY LAST passenger to leave the airport from BOTH flights on this day. So, I can speak comfortably that not a single passenger on the 2 flights was booked.
4. How many items did Customs at the Abuja airport seize/detain for duty payment from these 2 flights for the Federal Government of Nigeria on October 18, 2019?
5. Does it mean that the TWO AIRCRAFT carrying over 600 passengers had just this one shoe and one bag as the only dutiable items that landed Nigeria that faithful day?
6. You mentioned that I ought to have requested to see a Supervisor. Considering that I was among the first passengers to get to that Custom point and the very last to leave, how come this Supervisor did not come out all through this period to see how his/her people are working?
7. Does Customs have any protocol in place at the airports where travellers could seek succor when they feel ill-treated? If yes, please let Nigerians know where this advice is publicly published to help members of the public that are constantly being harassed and intimidated at the point of entry.
8. Why do we have a maximum of $10,000 when travelling, PTA OF $4,000 and N50, 000/$138 maximum allowance on return?
9. Could this be deliberate to leave room for discretionary intimidation of innocent Nigerians by Customs men to enrich themselves and deprive the federal government of its revenue?
10. The law is made by legislators. The law is interpreted by the judiciary. If this N50, 000 is law as stated by the Customs PRO in his response, is it enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria? Where is this Supervisor that you referred to going to draw his own powers of ‘discretion’ which he exercised to about 600 passengers and only one person indicted?
It is obvious and the gospel truth that each of these 600 passengers had at least 2 suitcases but only one person was singled out with one shoe and one boy bag for this treatment. Is this the Rule of Law? The Rule of Law states EQUALITY before the law. Our Commander-In-Chief is an advocate of ZERO tolerance to corruption which was NOT displayed on that day. The Comptroller General of Customs is also renowned for his ZERO tolerance for corruption. With the incidents described by myself and your good self the Customs PRO, can these 2 leaders genuinely achieve their dream of ZERO tolerance for corruption and blocking revenue leakages with the lieutenants they have on ground today at this airport?
You talked about gender, I repeat that T. Abdulrahman (A man) co-opted Essien (A woman) who by the way I am shocked to learn that she is Abdulrahman’s superior – to join him and intimidate me, but YOU Mr PRO craftily went completely silent on T. Abdulrahman who was a major bully on that day. He kept yelling at me, calling me names until I broke down and started crying. Unknown to them, my husband was on the phone all through my ordeal and he can release audio of this situation if the need arises. Thank God there are CCTV cameras at the airport and I have many more pictures to share should the need arise.
Again, to further buttress the intimidation and wickedness of Essien and Abdulrahman towards my person on that day, WHY did they not deduct/give me credit for the N50, 000 allowable while computing their punitive duty payment? Between, having bought the boy bag and canvas at the duty-free shop, it means that those items were bought CHEAPER than the on-line published price by about 17%. I can show you proof that the bag which the Customs people priced at $1,100, higher than the canvas was indeed cheaper than the canvas from the same online shop they claimed to be their source. Only Essien and her staff know the website from where they picked their fictitious figures.
I would not have had any problems with paying duty on my items if only I saw just THREE people out of over 600 passengers from 2 aircraft that were booked for duty payment alongside myself. This is why I questioned WHY I was singled out for this act of wickedness and intimidation. However, it seems that ‘discretion’ has made it impossible for the Nigerian Government to earn duties on this faithful day from about 600 passengers.
Another primary reason for speaking out loud is to draw the attention of the Nigerian public (who are tired of being intimidated by Customs at this particular airport), Our dear Commander In Chief and the Comptroller General of Customs to revisit the deployment of these Customs men at this particular point at the Abuja International Airport who are interpreting the law with ‘discretion’ on the directives of the Customs PRO or whom it might concern as he has explained in his futile defence of this illicit practice of men working for him.
Innocent Nigerians are being exploited and put through immense torture as a result of this outdated N50, 000 law.
These men of the Customs are apparently waiting eagerly for December to exploit and intimidate hundreds of Nigerians that will be coming home for Christmas and need to be deployed out immediately to save us from further embarrassment as a nation.
I am immensely humbled by the love, encouragement and support that 99% of Nigerians who read my story have shown me. They know I am not lying as I have countless experiences of several hundreds of innocent Nigerians in the hand of these Abuja International Airport Customs people. We also know that this evil must stop if our country must grow. They proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Nigerians are GREAT people being held down by a few that are sabotaging the efforts of our leaders. Nigerians know the truth.
Finally, no matter how much you twist the events of that faithful morning, THE TRUTH WILL DEFINITELY OVER RULE THIS WICKEDNESS METTED TO ME ON OCTOBER 18, 2019.”
Here’s the statement by NCS’ spokesman that drew Mrs Udenzi’s reaction:
PRESS RELEASE
The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a misleading narrative by one Mrs Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe whose claim of being ill-treated at the airport on the bases of her gender, tribe or where she comes from is going viral on the social media.
Mrs Nwagboliwe who arrived the country onboard BA083 with passport No. A07994773 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport had claimed that she was singled out and slammed with Customs Duty payment for one pair of shoes and “a mini boy bag” that should have been allowed to pass freely as personal effects.
There is therefore the need to make public what actually transpired to put the record straight, especially as she maliciously introduced gender, tribal and other unnecessary sentiments into what was simply a case of being told to pay duty as what was in her possession was far above the allowable value of N50,000.00 and certainly beyond what normal discretion would allow.
Upon routine search of this passenger’s luggage, operatives discovered a Loius Vuitton bag and shoe. Obviously knowing the luxury brand (Loius Vuitton), she was asked to produce the receipt which will be the bases for duty calculation or not. She could not produce the receipt of what she claimed she bought at the duty-free shop at the point of departure, saying the receipt was with her husband who did not travel with her.
The officers had to take the long route of ascertaining the current worth of her items through the internet. The luxury items were found to be worth N570,467.40k.
Consequently, appropriate duty assessment of N165, 692.25k was made and given to her to pay into Federal Government coffer. Since she could not immediately go and pay, a detention notice was given to her showing that the items will remain with the Nigeria Customs Service until she pays and brings evidence of payment before they will be released to her.
Instead of paying the assessed duty and pick up her items or request to see any superior officer should she have any reservation on the assessed value,
she took to irresponsible use of the social media drawing all sorts of conjectures, gender (even when the officer, Ms Essien who attended to her is a lady), tribe etc and even inciting the public against the Service.
Up till now, it is not clear why this lady would descend this low as to insulting a fellow woman and declaring her not fit to perform her duty and still find it convenient to complain of being ill-treated on the bases of gender.
Since her attempt to evade duty payment by refusing to produce receipt could not work, it appears convenient to transfer reluctance to pay tax into
unnecessary public incitement.
For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware that many Nigerians complain about the allowable amount of N50,000.00, but until the law is changed, Nigeria Customs Service will continue to enforce the extant law that says personal effects shall not exceed the value of N50,000.00. Anything more than the approved value is considered Merchandise in Baggage and therefore liable for duty payment.
We, therefore, call on members of the public to disregard these conjectures and give assurances of our resolve to treat all Nigerians with deserved courtesy and respect in the discharge of our statutory functions.
Signed:
DC, Joseph Attah
Public Relations Officer
For: Comptroller-General of Customs