There was anxiety among motorists and residents of Ikotun and Isolo areas of Lagos state yesterday as dare-devil smugglers drove in a convoy of more than 47 vehicles laden with frozen poultry products suspected to have been smuggled.
The smugglers drove against traffic in the morning, even as motorists and commuters looked in bewilderment as they were unchecked by policemen and personnel of other security agencies who are a regular sight on that route.
Apart from the smuggled poultry products, other items like imported vegetable oil and cartons of wines were seen inside some of the vehicles.
It was gathered that the mass movement of contrabands along that axis was first noticed on October 1, 2016, when the nation celebrated her independence.
The convoy however broke into two at the Okeafa area of Isolo, with some vehicles headed towards Isolo, while another went towards Apapa Oshodi expressway, enroute Ijesha in Surulere.
Our correspondent, who also observed yesterday’s action along the Ikotun-Egbe- Isolo highway, confirmed the long convoy of vehicles overloaded with smuggled items driving against traffic without being challenged.
An eyewitness told Shipping Position Daily correspondent that the convoy of vehicles loaded with smuggled goods came into Ikotun from the Iba axis, through the popular Igbo Elerin area, a place notorious as smugglers’ route.
A motor boy in one of the vehicles who refused to give his name justified the mass movement by telling our correspondent that they (smugglers) were forced into adopting the new method “because of the situation of things in the country”.
Speaking further, he said, ‘’we are only trying to help the situation because people are starving, dying and many cannot afford to buy common groundnut to eat”
‘’With these large number of goods, people would be able to eat and buy food stuff at a cheaper price because the price will be affordable when they get to the market’’.
But, another eyewitness who pleaded anonymity accused officials of government agencies at the various borders of compromising with the smugglers, considering the large number of loaded vehicles trooping into communities in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos state from the borders in Ogun State and the Seme axis.
He alleged that the smugglers had threatened to cause commotion two days ago, when some officials from Vehicles Inspection Office {VIO] dared to stop them. They fired shots to scare onlookers and others away.
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