The Nigerian Army has intercepted a petrol tanker conveying 100 bags of foreign rice in Nsukka axis of Enugu State.
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Brig.-Gen. Christopher Ataki, Commander 82 Division Garrison, Enugu, disclosed this while handling over the tanker and other smuggled items to the Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Enugu on Friday.
Ataki said that troops of 82 Division Garrison deployed on Operation MESA at Inyi checkpoint in Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA) intercepted the tanker on Feb. 3, following an intelligence report.
According to him, the tanker was intercepted with the driver, Mr Sunny Faisal and his conductor Mr Dahiru Usman, who are from Adamawa.
The commander said that preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle belonged to Bungel Company in Adamawa; while the items were said to belong to someone in Warri, Delta.
“A few days ago, troops of the 82 Division Garrison intercepted the petrol truck.The truck was conveying contraband 100 bags of foreign rice and each bag is 50kg, which you can also see at the background.
“On behalf of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the division, Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, I hereby handover the truck and its content to Enugu/Anambra/Ebonyi Command of NCS; so it can continue investigation on the matter from where we stopped,’’ he said.
Receiving the items, Mrs Maria Baya, NCS Comptroller in-charge of the command, thanked the Army for being a dependable ally in the fight against smuggling in the country.
Baya said that NCS was grateful for “the big catch’’ as well as wonderful work of tracking down notorious smugglers and the preliminary investigation done on the matter.
“On behalf of the Comptroller-General of NCS; we want to say a very big thank you to the Nigerian Army.
“The NCS uses this avenue to call on Nigerians to stop smuggling foreign rice.
“It is against the law and the NCS will deal decisively with anyone caught,’’ she noted.