Customs Disowns Fraudsters
From Tunde Sanni in Ibadan, 09.08.2009



The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo and Osun Command has disowned a gang of fraudsters which have been using the command to swindle unsuspecting members of the public who are desperate to purchase seized vehicles from the service.Command Comptroller, Evelyn Nwokocha, told newsmen in Ibadan that her command had launched an investigation into the activities of the fraudsters with a view to uncovering the masterminds and their intentions.
Nwokocha was responding to obvious pressures from the national headquarters of the NCS on the activities of the fraudsters who placed advertorials in some national dailies directing interested members of the public on the sale of some exotic cars whose payment must be paid to some bank accounts after which they would come for the delivery of the car of their choice.
The fraudsters gave the Federal Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo state as the contact address and requested their respective clients to approach the Ibadan local office for the cars of their choice after the bank lodgment has been made.
Many Nigerians had, since the publications appeared last month, been swindled as they took the bank payment tellers to the Customs House in Ibadan where the vehicles were said to have been parked but discovered that no such arrangement existed.
But the Comptroller stated that the address given by the swindlers never existed, clarifying that the contact address of the service for Oyo/ Osun command remains at Federal Secretariat/Ikolaba junction.
According to her , she became aware of the activities of the fraudsters following traffic of persons believed to have been duped by the gang requesting for the vehicles.
She said, “after due investigation, I wish to state categorically that there is no auction sales or allocations of second hand cars by Customs in Ibadan. The said adverts did not emanate from Nigeria Customs Service and definitely no auction sale or allocation of used cars is taking place in this command."
She confessed that the action was the handiwork of fraudsters and criminal elements using dubious means to defraud members of the public.Nwokocha maintained, “this Customs House is the headquarters of Osun/Oyo Area command and not the office of the Federal Operations Unit as alleged and we do not have Customs Oyo Area 1 account in any bank.She urged media houses, internet service providers and the banks to network with the customs with a view to tracking down the fraudsters.Asked why it took the agency so long to deny any link with the con men, Nwokocha said she heard of it for the first time last week when some publications were made to that effect in some national dailies.She said, "I was posted here in March this year and the officer in charge of operations is barely two months old in this command. We would have reacted since if our attention had been drawned earlier than now."

FRAUD! FRAUD!! FRAUD!!!
Even our national dailies are not helping at all. So long as you have the money, you can advertise anything, be it fraudulent or not. I partly blame our national dailies for fraudulent activities in this country,

The newspapers are disappointing in this regard as they are ready to accept adverts from satan if he pays the advert fees.

Now to the victims? Were they drinking kaikai when they paid money into bank accounts without any verification or confirmation?

I still maintain that most 419 victims are stupid, lazy and greedy always looking for easy or quick money without any serious effort on their part.

So, someone expects to pay say N400,000.00 and then go into the place and choose any car of your choice even if it is a Hummer jeep.

I guess the government should consider jail terms for some 419 victims maybe that will make one think twice before engaging in any business transaction.

i think the fraudster are from the Custom office, let them investigate