Customs Hands Officer To Police Over #200,000 Extortion Along Lagos-Benin Expressway

By Temitope Adebiyi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commenced disciplinary action against one of its officers following a viral video showing the alleged extortion of a motorist along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

The viral footage that prompted the disciplinary action was reportedly recorded secretly by the motorist using AI Meta glasses during the encounter on the Lagos-Benin highway.

The incident, which sparked public outrage on social media, reportedly involved a Customs officer demanding as much as N200,000 from a road user during a patrol operation.

In a video shared on the official X handle of the NCS of the service during the weekend, the implicated officer, whose identity was not disclosed, was paraded before senior officials and subsequently handed over to the Customs Police Unit for further investigation and disciplinary action.

The Service described the conduct captured in the viral clip as unprofessional and contrary to its ethical standards, reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct by personnel.

“Following the circulation of a viral video depicting unprofessional conduct by patrol officers, the Nigeria Customs Service initiated immediate disciplinary procedures in line with its zero-tolerance policy on misconduct,” a voice-over in the video stated.

Speaking during the handover, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Lagos, CSC Hussaini Abdullahi, who represented the Unit Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, said the Service would not condone acts that tarnish its image.

“The Service wishes to reiterate that officers found culpable of violating ethical standards will be subjected to appropriate sanctions without compromise,” Abdullahi said.

“On behalf of the Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Comptroller G.I. Aliu, I hereby hand over the officer to the Head of the Customs Police Unit in Zone A for further investigation and other necessary action,” he said..