Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Border Command have said that the two suspects arrested in connection with the $6million fake notes in $100 bill offered them the sum of $150, 000 (in genuine currencies) bribe if they would agree to allow the fake currency to go through.

Recall that operatives of the command at the Gbaji checkpoint had on January 31, 2023, intercepted the $6million fake currency loaded in a car and also arrested the two occupants of the car, who promptly proposed to call their master in the Republic of Benin to arrange for $150, 000 genuine currency in order to allow the fake currency pass, which they turned down.

Confirming this development during a media briefing Thursday, Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni, who assumed duty on January 23, 2023, said it was common for such suspects to try to induce officers in order to compromise them to do their bidding. He praised the officers for being patriotic and not allowing personal and selfish interest to override national interest, arguing that they could possibly have collected the money and look the other way but they chose not to do that.

On how he plans to reward the officers for their patriotism, he disclosed that he was planning to recommend to the management of the service to find ways of rewarding the officers, which could come in the form of promotion to serve as a morale booster and also challenge other officers and men of the service.

Some of the kegs of petrol seized by the command

“This is not actually new, we did this when I was the Deputy Comptroller, Enforcement at the Tin Can Island Command of the service, when some officers intercepted three containers loaded with arms and ammunition. They were also offered monetary inducement but they turned it down and following our recommendation, the management promoted some officers while some others were commended.

“So like I said earlier. We will recommend to the management so that the officers will be rewarded adequately and I know we have a listening management that rewards diligence and hard work”, Comptroller Nnadi further assured.

While fielding questions on the level of preparedness for the 2023 general elections, especially given the strategic nature of the Seme land border, he disclosed that there was an emergency meeting of all the security agencies operating at the at the border last week where strategies were discussed.

He also hinted that there would be another enlarged meeting next week between all the security agencies and the traditional rulers of the border communities adding that the lower cadre officers and men of the security apparatuses are also being constantly briefed on responses in their various lines of duty.

The new CAC had on assumption of duty rejigged the command’s anti-smuggling strategies, which led to the interception of the $6million fake notes at the Gbaji checkpoint as well as the smashing of a cross-border criminal syndicate same day at the Gbetrome Base that specialises in International Passport racketeering. Two suspects were also arrested with a total of 16 International Passports of different nationalities including six of the Republic of Malta, 10 other for African countrie and 10 International Driver’s Licenses.

Also seized over the 13-day period were 1,300 jerry cans (139,000 litres) of Premium Motor Spirit PMS being smuggled out of the country through the border creeks, fake agro-allied chemicals and pharmaceutical products, fake baking flours, among several others.