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.
Ope Oloko.
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.
