Customs men cart away 20 bags of rice, at Idimu

There was pandemonium at the Idimu bus stop Mondayevening as six uniformed customs officials in a Nigerian customs branded Hilux van stopped by a local foodstuffs store along the Isheri-Idimu Road and carted away 20 bags of rice in front of the store.

The incident which happened about 5.30pm on Mondayattracted drivers and other people from the nearby Idumu junction who tried to stop them but they allegedly shot sporadically into the air to scare people away.

It was also alleged that tricycle that loaded bags of rice from the same store but had not moved away was ‘arrested’ by the customs men who chained the tricycle to their van and drove away amidst boos and jeers from members of the public.

One of the onlookers who attempted to take photographs at the scene was spotted by one of the uniformed men who chased after him but he got away.

Sales men at the shop and a lady told The Daily Timesthat the men were armed so they could not utter a word as they watched them cart away their master’s stock of rice.

The owner of the shop, Mr. Sunday who was just recovering from the total loss he incurred from the Idimu inferno of last year told our correspondent he was not at the shop when the incident happened.

“One of my suppliers just delivered the 20 bags of rice at my shop; as my boys were arranging to take them inside my store, some customs men driving past just saw them; they reversed back and carried all the 20 bags of rice away. My boys called me on the phone, but before I got there they had gone away with the rice, and I don’t even know where they carried them to, and they may not take them to their base.”

Sunday who put the cost of the 20 bags of rice at N400,000 said the rice was the Nigerian brand of rice. “They were local rice I bought to replenish the stock I had in my shop; how am I going to recover my stock now?

“Then when people tried to plead with them they started shooting and everybody scattered, but thank God for someone who was able to take few photographs.”

Eye witness told our correspondent the customs men released the tricycle after the owner settled them but they zoomed off towards Council.

It was not clear why the customs men turned back to cart away the stock, especially because the rice is the local brand which dealers are promoting to replace the imported brands.

When The Daily Times put a call through to the Police Public Relations office, an official said no report has been made to their office.