The Joint Border Patrol Team of security operatives, sector 3 under the Nigeria Custom service has paraded five female foreigners and one male Nigerian at the Ilorin zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Custom Service on allegation of came into Nigeria through illegal way and engaging in swindling activities in Kano and Kaduna by using of charm.
Addressing Journalists, the coordinator of the team, comptroller Olugboyega Peters said “To actualize JBPT mandate which comprises of ONSA, NIA, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Army and other agencies of Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) while conducting stop and search along Lokoja -Abuja highway, on the 21st of February, 2021, at about 1200 hours, intercepted one Mazda 626 with registration number ABJ 187 BF, conveying five women from Zuba Abuja to Lokoja in Kogi State. On searching the vehicle, 15 bundles and 18 pieces of wrappers were found to be concealed in bonnet and other component of the vehicle”
“The preliminary investigations revealed that the Five women are from different countries; Chad, Ghana, Mali and Niger Republic noting that they were found to be illegal immigrants without any means of identification. Investigation further revealed that they operates as a syndicate comprising of two groups, specializes in duping and stealing of women wrappers and most times uses charm to perpetrate their crimes. One group operates in Kaduna and the other in Kano axis, prominently on big shops selling women wrapper as their targets”
Said “The 2 groups came into the country through Katsina and Seme illegal routes. Given their names to be; Fatima Mohammadu (38) from Niger Republic, Judith Kofi (29) from Ghana, Fanta Camara (30) from Mali, Fadima Taore ((37) from Chad, Fatimata Camara (39) from Benin Republic”
“The driver of Mazda 626 Mufutau Woye (34) is a Nigerian from Kwara State but reside in Kubwa FCT Abuja as a commercial driver. He was only hired to transport them “to and fro” Kogi State.
“Fatimata Camara and Fanta Camara were brought into the country by their Nigerian boyfriends from Benin Republic but were later abandoned in Nigeria. Fatimata Camara, Fatima Mohammadu and Fanta Camara confessed to stealing 15 bundles of the wrappers worth Two Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Naira N255, 000 in Kogi State”
He, however, said the suspects will be handed over to the appropriate authorities in Kogi state for further investigation.
Comptroller Peters also briefed journalists on the achievements of the team in recent time said “From the beginning of the year to date, Sector 3 has recorded One Hundred and Twenty seizures of various illegal items with the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the Seized Good worth Seventy Five Million Eight Hundred and Fifty One Thousand Three Hundred Naira N75, 851, 300 and Sets of Human traffickers that had already handed over to Immigration and National Agency for Prohibition of trafficking in persons (NAPTIP)”
Coordinator of the tam also said that “since I assumed duty as the coordinator of the sector 3, the team had remitted Two hundred and Forty Two (242) seizures with total Duty Paid Value of Two Hundred and Fifty Nine Million Two Hundred and Sixty thousand four Hundred and Forty three Naira N259, 260, 443”