NCS expresses worry over smugglers with fictitious presidential license plates

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

Mr Chedi Wada, Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “B”, Kaduna, has expressed regret over the use of fictitious presidential number plates by smugglers in the delivery of automobiles throughout the nation.

Wada claims that these fictitious license plates, which belong to several state and local administrations, MDAs, Emirate Councils, and other governmental organizations, have also been dubiously used by them.

When Wada received a courtesy call from Bashir Rabe-Mani, the NAN Zonal Manager (ZM) in the Kaduna Zonal Office, he divulged this.

“Customs won’t give up and will keep trying its hardest to stop smugglers from exploiting the presidential number plates and other official institutions as cover for smuggling expensive cars,” he declared.

”This is one of the menaces we are having. It is saddening how vehicle smugglers are ridiculing the apex seat in the country by using presidential fake plate numbers using them on newly smuggled cars to deceive customs.”

He claims that customs officials are highly skilled individuals who can spot phoney numbers with ease and are not susceptible to old techniques.

The comptroller stated, “We always impose a heavy hammer on those who use the presidency on false instances on smuggled vehicles because we are not happy with them and it is too bad for them to be playing with the presidency.

“Let them respect the presidency, we must respect the presidency.”