Customs Invasion: Protesters Storm Ogun Governors Office

By Ogbolu George

Sango-Ota rice sellers on Thursday, marched to the office of Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in Abeokuta, to continue their protest over the invasion of their shops by men of the Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operation Unit, Ikeja, Lagos.

The rice sellers had alleged on Wednesday, that Customs operatives had invaded their shops in Sango-Ota rice market, broke into them and took away bags of rice and kegs of vegetable oil.

Wakilat Salako, the coordinator of the rice sellers led the protesters.

She said, ”After the Area Commander, and the Divisional Police Officer calmed us down yesterday (Wednesday), they told us to go back to the market and take the inventory of those bags of rice taken away by the Customs operatives, and we later discovered that it was not 18,000 bags but 4,200 bags of rice.

”We are here this morning to tell the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to help us retrieve the 4,200 bags of rice and 478 kegs of vegetable oil taken away by the Customs operatives from the Federal Operation Unit, Ikeja, Lagos.”

Some officials among the rice sellers are currently in a closed-door meeting with the governor.