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Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100

Published

6 months ago

July 2, 2024

Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100

Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) assaulted staff members of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) filling station at the Honda Bus Stop in Ota, Ogun State, on Friday, FIJ has gathered.

FIJ learned that the customs officers took umbrage and threatened to shoot after a staff member of the filling station asked for N100 charges for their transaction on the point-of-sale machine.

An eyewitness said that the angry Nigerian customs officers beat up the NNPC’s station supervisor and injured a customer.

She said that the point-of-sale merchant at the station had told the customs officers, who wanted to fill up their tank with fuel worth N30,000, that if they paid with an ATM card all at once, they would have to add N100 for bank charges.

According to the eyewitness, the attendant explained that if the officers were willing to allow her to withdraw N15,000 twice, they would incur no charges, as only transactions of N20,000 and above attracted such.

“As the officers were arguing with the lady, the male attendant trying to sell the fuel to the officers chimed in to explain that the filling station was not benefiting from the charges, as it belongs to Moniepoint, the filling station’s bank, but that made their hackles rise,” the eyewitness said.

“They got so angry that one of them hit the male attendant with a gun. In an attempt to parry the gun, he sustained an injury to his arm. In fear, the attendant ran away.”

She said the customs officers asked the PoS merchant, who was now afraid, not to leave. At that point, she said, the officers then began pointing the gun at other filling station attendants, saying, “You’re all thieves. Is that what Nigeria asked you to do?”

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The officers began to cock their guns and charge at everyone at the filling station, so both customers and staffers fled the premises, except a customer who had a flat tyre.

“They beat the customer and broke his phone. They said he was recording them, but he was only calling someone to bring some tyres to him. He had to beg them, rolling on the floor, before they let him go,” she said.

“And while doing this, they kept asking for the manager of the filling station. At this time, she didn’t face them but ran to a nearby police station to report the matter. In place of the manager, they beat the supervisor, thinking he was the general manager.

“They started saying they came here and asked the attendants to sell inside kegs but they refused and now wanted to collect money for charges. They called the attendants thieves.”

She said that the filling station’s general manager returned from the Obasanjo Onipanu police station with four policemen.

The team leader of the police spoke with the commander of the customs officers.

“After their discussion, the police officer told her to forgive the erring officers. She immediately said the action of the customs officers was unfair because her staffers did nothing wrong,” the eyewitness said.

“They then asked her why she didn’t show up when they were asking for the manager of the filling station. She told them it was impossible to confront them at the time as the manager because they were armed, which was why she reported to the police instead.

“One of the customs officers said, ‘As you have reported, what do you now want to happen? We cocked our guns, so what do you want to do?’ While they were shouting, people took her away from their midst and back to the station. When they were ready to buy, the attendants refused to sell to them, so they just had to leave the compound.”

Based on the eyewitness’ discussions with the attendants, she believed that the customs officers acted irresponsibly because, on the previous Monday and Tuesday, they refused to sell fuel to them in jerrycans.

When FIJ called the Nigeria Customs Service via the phone number displayed on its Facebook page, they said they had yet to hear of this matter. They asked this reporter to go to the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service for information.

Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.

Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.

A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.

“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.

To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.

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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.

“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.

Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.

“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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Three days to Christmas, food prices, transport fares hit the roof

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

Three days to Christmas, food prices, transport fares hit the roof

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ,UDHR, Article 25(1), everyone has the right to standard of living adequate for their health and well-being, which includes access to food, clothing, and housing.

Similarly, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ,ICESCR, Article 11 emphasizes the right to an adequate standard of living, including sufficient food.

Furthermore, the Covenant recognizes the fundamental right to be free from hunger and advocates for measures both individual and international to eliminate hunger.

It is widely acknowledged that inadequate food availability can lead to health issues, as food is as essential to health as air is to breathing.

The situation is exacerbated by the rising costs of healthcare, which are increasingly out of reach for many due to ongoing inflation.

Difficult situations

In Nigeria, harsh economic conditions are forcing households into difficult situations, with many going to bed hungry due to skyrocketing food prices. With Christmas just three days away, our correspondents visited local food markets in Lagos and Abuja to see how citizens are coping with the rising cost of goods and services.

In the locations, buyers and sellers expressed their frustrations over the increasing prices of food items.

At Agric Market in Ikorodu, Mummy Somto, lamented that she had never witnessed such high prices in her lifetime.

She noted that a chicken that cost N15,000 last year now sells for N35,000, with only older layers available for N15,000.

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“What will that do for my family? We have never seen it like this in Nigeria. I hope this hope is the hope,” she said.

At Mile 12 International Market, trucks filled with perishable goods such as tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, and other vegetables were lined up for unloading while eager buyers waited nearby.

When asked about the high prices despite the abundance of food, truck owner Alhaji Shehu, explained that the situation arose from expenses related to diesel, farm security, police and military checkpoints before reaching Lagos.

He mentioned spending between N500,000 and N800,000 per truck, which inevitably raises prices.
“This is our business, and we are not pleased with the high costs either. If I sell my goods, I still need to buy what I don’t sell. It’s suffocating us. I also commend the buyers,” Shehu added.

Bags of rice

Mrs. Bukky Osagie, a rice vendor at Mike 12, shared her concerns about escalating prices: “Last December, a bag of rice was between N65,000 and N70,000. Today, it’s from N95,000 depending on the brand. Traders are exhausted. People are buying half bags because they can’t afford full ones. They also need to buy additional items. How do people survive this trend? This has to stop if the government truly cares for its citizens.”

At Daleko Market, Mrs. Hannah, was seen pricing vegetable oil when she declared, “Whether the devil likes it or not, we will celebrate with our families and share love during this season. We will just have to adjust our spending according to our means.”

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As of the time of filing this report, a 25-liter container of vegetable oil was selling for between N86,000 and N95,000 depending on the brand.

Garri was priced at N56,000, while Ijebu Gaari was N58,000.

A carton of satchel tomatoes ranged from N8,800 to N9,200 while a pack of spaghetti cost N23,000.
70 grams of noodles were priced between N9,800 and N10,500. A roll of curry or thyme sold for N550 each, while small bulbs of onion reached as high as N200, making them almost unaffordable for many.

Christmas cheer

In Abuja, soaring food prices and steep transportation costs are casting a shadow over Christmas celebrations for many families.

The cost of essential holiday items, such as poultry, has surged, with chickens priced between ¦ 15,000 and ¦ 25,000, and turkeys reaching up to ¦ 130,000 in some markets.

Sunday Vanguard learned that rising feed prices, transportation costs, and supply chain disruptions are driving these increases.

Additionally, a 50-kg bag of rice now costs between ¦ 94,000 and ¦ 125,000, a significant leap from previous months.

Transportation fares have also skyrocketed, with transport fare from Abuja to major cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Enugu increasing from 15 percent to 35 percent in the past month.

For instance, a trip from Abuja to Lagos by road, which previously cost ¦ 28,000–¦ 35,000, now ranges between ¦ 46,500 and ¦ 60,000.

Three days to Christmas, food prices, transport fares hit the roof

VANGUARD

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Three Ogun varsity students die in auto crash

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

Ogun State Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola

Three Ogun varsity students die in auto crash

The Police Command in Ogun State has confirmed the death of three university students in a single-vehicle accident on the Ilisan-Ago-Iwoye Road.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, revealed that the victims were suspected to be students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.

The incident, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, involved an Opel car with registration number AAA-126 HE. The vehicle was reportedly driven by Adekunle Adebiyi, a resident of 5 Sunmibare Street, Awa Ijebu.

“The accident was caused by overspeeding, leading to the driver losing control and the vehicle flipping into the bush,” Odutola explained.

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She further disclosed that one male passenger, whose identity is yet to be confirmed but is believed to be an OOU student, died on the spot. His body was taken to the mortuary at General Hospital, Ijebu Ode.

“Two female students from Olabisi Onabanjo University — Dada Oluwanifesimi, 18, and Miracle Daniel, 19 — were rushed to Love and Care Hospital but sadly passed away while receiving treatment,” she added.

The vehicle involved in the crash has been recovered and is now in police custody.

Odutola assured the public that further updates on the tragic incident would be provided and advised motorists to adhere to traffic regulations, particularly during the festive season.