A Nigerian passenger returning from the United States has accused two operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of stealing N1 million from him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Oke Adhekegba, the victim, alleged that customs officers Adebayo and Ugboma demanded N5 million in customs clearance fees and later settled for N1 million after hours of frustration.
Adhekegba arrived at the airport on May 16 and claimed the officers accused him of carrying dutiable goods worth a significant amount of money.
Despite his insistence that the items were personal belongings, the officers allegedly continued to harass him, pressuring him for a bribe. Adhekegba transferred the N1 million to a PalmPay account provided by a female merchant, which he believes was an accomplice to the officers.
Customs Service Response
The Nigeria Customs Service has responded to the allegations, stating that the payment was for legitimate customs duty and that the full amount had already been remitted to the Federal Government’s account.
According to the Customs spokesperson, Usman Abdu, Adhekegba’s luggage contained items worth N3,113,574, and the duty-paid value was N1,000,004.
Adhekegba described the incident as s “pure robbery” and expressed frustration with the treatment he received from the officers.
He claimed one officer even asked for a pair of sandals he bought for his daughter after extorting the money.
Adhekegba believes this kind of exploitation needs to stop, and authorities should take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
