By Babatunde Ayedoju
It was an atmosphere of anger and frustration when, about a week ago, motor dealers—mostly sellers of fairly used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo—converged at the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Ondo/Ekiti Command in Akure, to protest what they described as persistent extortion, harassment and illegal seizure of vehicles by Customs officers.
The protesters, who came from southwestern states such as Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo, chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with inscriptions like: “We Pay Duty, Stop the Harassment,” “Customs – Uphold the Law, Not Extortion,” and “Release Our Vehicles.”
During the protest, which lasted several hours and disrupted vehicular movement, the dealers called for an immediate end to what they termed illegal practices by Customs operatives. They told journalists that vehicles legally cleared at Lagos. Ports were still being intercepted on highways, subjected to arbitrary revaluation, and forced to pay additional, unofficial fees. They alleged that Customs officers often cited “watch lists” or internal directives as excuses to impound cars, even after all statutory duties had been settled.
As a result, the dealers demanded free passage for duly cleared vehicles without repeated checkpoints. They also called for an end to unofficial charges, inflated valuations and bribe demands by Customs operatives.
Customs Comptroller promises action
Addressing journalists during the protest, the National Vice President (Southwest) of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Alhaji Ibrahim Adeniyi, said that the Comptroller of Customs, Ondo/Ekiti Command, Queen Obazee, denied knowledge of the alleged harassment and extortion. She promised to investigate the grievances, stating that no such directives had come from her office. Adeniyi added that she assured them that extortion and harassment would not be tolerated under her Command.
Illegal fees jeopardising our business – AMDON Ondo Chairman
Mr Jenyo Ogunlade, Chairman of AMDON in Ondo State, accused some officers of collecting between N200,000 and N1 million in illegal duties from dealers, charges he described as unjust and detrimental to their business. He emphasised that the fees often came after official payments had already been made at the Apapa Port.
Speaking with The Hope, several motor dealers recounted their unpleasant experiences with customs personnel on highways.
“They refused transfer; I was forced to look for a POS”
A car dealer who identified himself as ID shared one such experience. He explained that while bringing vehicles from Apapa to Akure, he passed through several checkpoints without issues, merely exchanging pleasantries with officers. However, his troubles began upon entering Ondo State.
He said, “The moment I got to Ondo State, especially Owena/Igbara-Oke, they delayed me for more than two hours. I had to pay N200,000 for the two vehicles I had before they let me go. I begged a young officer in the name of God, but he said that was none of his business. He insisted on collecting N30,000 from me. I wanted to do a transfer, but he refused, saying it could implicate him. I had to find a POS that night to withdraw the cash and pay.”
ID called on the Federal Government to intervene urgently, saying the current trend is capable of frustrating car dealers and destroying their businesses.
“Once you pass through Ore like I did recently, you’ll pay N10,000 at each checkpoint. If you don’t pay, they’ll ask you to park. I left Lagos around 6 p.m, and didn’t get to Akure until 11:00 the following morning. They delay you—sometimes for two, three hours. And they won’t collect less than N10,000,” he added.
“It’s getting out of hand”
Another dealer, Yemi, expressed similar frustration:
“The issue we are facing is getting out of hand. Since we’ve made all the necessary payments to the Federal Government, Customs officers should not be collecting extra money again. From Lagos to Ondo State, we pass through several checkpoints, but once we enter Ondo State, things get worse. In Owena, the officers start naming their price. We end up bargaining with them.
How much profit are we even making?”
Another motor dealer, Ope, said the activities of Customs officers had made life difficult for them.
“They make us pay unnecessary levies after paying the legal duties. We’d appreciate it if the government could address this issue effectively.
“I had made all necessary payments in Lagos, yet when they stopped me in Ijebu-Ode, I had to spend the night there. All these things can cause sudden death—the fear alone is enough to kill. For example, one of my friends was chased by Customs officers until he ran into a trailer. Things shouldn’t be this hard,” he lamented.
“We acted on time to save the situation” – AMDON VP
Speaking further with The Hope, Alhaji Bankole Adeniyi, AMDON’s National Vice President (Southwest), said the harassment of car dealers by Customs officers had been going on for a long time, prompting the association’s leadership to act quickly before things got worse.
“Usually, when a vehicle is cleared in Lagos, a senior Customs officer signs it out. Our grievance is that once that happens, no other Customs officer should stop the vehicle again. Even our national president was affected. He was returning from Lagos with a cleared vehicle but was made to pay N300,000 opposite FUTA,” he said.
“Seeing how rampant the issue had become, AMDON officials decided to meet with senior customs officers at the Akure Command headquarters. While the meeting was ongoing, our members from Ondo and Ekiti arrived. The new Comptroller calmed everyone down and assured us that such practices would no longer be tolerated. She emphasised that only vehicles not properly cleared would be seized henceforth,” Adeniyi concluded.