Alleged Fraud: Customs denies underhand dealing in e-auctioning of vehicles

By Marvellous Gbadegesin On Feb 17, 2024

Fraud, e-auctioning, vehicles , Customs — Alleged Fraud: Customs denies underhand dealing in e-auctioning of vehicles

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has denied allegations of impropriety in the e-auction process for overtime/seized goods.

The service made its position known in a statement shared via its X handle on Saturday.

The statement was responding to a report titled “The Monumental Stealing By The Customs Auction Committee And Their Plans To Dispose-Off Overtime Containers.”

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders 100 percent Compliance Team recently accused the NCS of auctioning over 300 vehicles to one individual through corrupt means, involving substantial underhand payments.

It claims that only a small amount of N10,000 per vehicle was collected as duties to the Federal Government.

The Chief Superintendent of Customs and National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, emphasized the NCS’ commitment to upholding accountability and transparency in all its activities.

The statement read, “The NCS is a law-abiding government organization dedicated to maintaining the most outstanding levels of accountability and transparency in all its activities and taking any accusations of improper behavior seriously.

The statement said that during the process, 476 impounded vehicles were uploaded on the service portal, adding that 462 of them were won by the applications.

“The government realized N556,738,736 as revenue from the e-auction sale. It begs the question of where the allegations of monumental stealing by the Customs Auction Committee and the committee’s plans to dispose of overtime containers is coming from,” he added.

It further stated that it was disheartening to note the serious allegations against the integrity of the ongoing e-auction process designed to provide a level playing ground for all Nigerians.

“We wish to categorically deny involvement in fraudulent activities or underhand dealings in the e-auctioning of vehicles or other goods.

“The NCS Auction Committee operates within the confines of the law and adheres strictly to established guidelines and procedures for disposing of seized/overtime goods.”

Addressing the specific allegation of over 300 vehicles being auctioned to a single individual through underhand payments, the statement described the claim as “entirely false, misguided, and spurious.:

It also dismissed the suggestion that a token sum of N10,000 is collected as duties on the e-auction window, emphasizing that the process is transparent and compliant with regulations.

“Regarding the allegation that over 300 vehicles have been auctioned to just one individual via the e-auction window after purported underhand payments, we wish to state that this is entirely false, misguided, and spurious.

“Furthermore, suggesting that a token sum of N10,000 is collected as duties to the Federal Government on the e-auction window, which has a reserved price of N400, 000 is indeed misleading and misrepresentation of fact,” the statement said.

The statement in providing data on the e-auction process, revealed that out of 13,605 applicants in five bidding windows, 462 individuals won auctions for 476 vehicles uploaded, generating N556,738,736 in revenue for the government.

It reaffirmed the NCS’ commitment to transparency and accountability, urging the public to support the service in promoting an inclusive system that benefits all Nigerians.

“We wish to reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law in all our activities. We urge members of the public to join the service with the common goal of promoting an inclusive system that is fair to all Nigerians, irrespective of their status,” the statement added.