Few days after a Nigerian-born London based returnee, Mrs. Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe accused officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) attached to Murtala Muhammad International Airport Command (MMIA) of treating her badly at the airport on the bases of her gender, and tribe, the service has given a full story on what actually happened.
Recall that over the week end, the said lady accused two custom officer attached to the airport of seizing her pair of shoes and hand bag based on her gender and tribe.
Explaining what happened, in a statement signed of Monday a copy of which was sighted by Shipping Position Daily, the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Joseph Attach, Deputy Controller of Customs said what was in her possession was above the allowable value of N50, 000.
"The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a misleading narrative by one Mrs. Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe whose claim of being ill-treated at the airport on the bases of her gender, tribe or where she comes from is going viral on the social media"
"Mrs. Nwagboliwe who arrived in the country onboard BA083 with passport No. A07994773 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport had claimed that she was singled out and slammed with Customs Duty payment for one pair of shoes and "a mini boy bag” that should have been allowed to pass freely as personal effects", he said.
Explaining further, he said the woman cannot produce the receipt of the products to enable them calculate the value.
"Upon routine search of this passenger's luggage, operatives discovered a Loius Vuitton bag and shoe"
"Obviously knowing the luxury brand (Loius Vuitton), she was asked to produce the receipt which will be the bases for duty calculation or not"
"She could not produce the receipt of what she claimed she bought at the duty free shop at the point of departure, saying the receipt was with her husband who did not travel with her"
Attah however said that on discovering the current price of the product appropriate duty was given to the woman.
"The officers had to take the long route of ascertaining the current worth of her items through the internet. The luxury items were found to be worth N570,467.40k"
He said that since the woman cannot pay the duty immediately, a detention notice was given to her.
"Consequently, appropriate duty assessment of N165, 692.25k was made and given to her to pay into Federal Government coffers"
"Since she could not immediately go and pay, a detention notice was given to her showing that the items will remain with the service until she pays and brings evidence of payment before they will be released to her"
"We therefore call on members of the public to disregard these conjectures and give assurances of our resolve to treat all Nigerians with deserved courtesy and respect in the discharge of our statutory functions" he concluded
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