The Nigeria Customs Service has seized a truck belonging to the Dangote Cement Company in Ogun State with about 3,000 cartons of contraband frozen poultry valued at over N47 million.
The Comptroller of NCS in the state, Sani Magudu, made this known on Monday at a press conference. He said the driver escaped and was still on the run.
The truck, with the inscription Ibese 13 and registration number ICT-13E-047, was parked on Monday within the command premises in Abeokuta fully loaded with the products.
Mr. Madugu said investigation showed that the frozen poultry was being transported into Nigeria from Benin Republic.
“A trailer belonging to Dangote Group loaded with 3,000 cartons of frozen turkey was intercepted on Saturday 16th September,2017 at about 3.45 a.m. along Sagamu-Abeokuta interchange,” he said.
He said the smugglers were not aware that they were being monitored from the point of packaging of the products until the vehicle was impounded at about 3.45 a.m. on Saturday at Sagamu interchange, which links the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“We are one step ahead of them. The smugglers now connive with Dangote truck drivers. We started monitoring them from their loading spot to Sagamu interchange where the vehicle was intercepted,” he said.
He said the the motorboy of the truck was arrested but the driver ran away.
The Management of Dangote Industries Limited (Dangote Group) has issued a passionate appeal to members of the public to assist in monitoring and reporting both recklessness and illegal haulage of contrabands goods by some of its truck drivers. The company has also set up hotlines for the public to report such truck drivers, with a promise to appropriately compensate calls that lead to arrest of errant drivers.
Noting that trucks belonging to Dangote Cement are only allowed to carry cement, high grade gypsum and coal; those belonging to Dangote Sugar (NASCON) are authorised to carry only salt and Dan Q seasoning; and trucks belonging to Agrosacks, the bags producing arm of Dangote group, can only carry bags, belonging to Dangote flour mills, wheat, flour and Danvita.
in a related development,the Management of Dangote Group in a statement alerting and encouraging the public to report any suspected Dangote Truck driver involved in illegal haulage provided hotlines to make such reports.
“Please call Dangote Industries Limited Management hotline on all information regarding illegal haulage activities on 01- 2123567, 08070188000, 08170023846, 08152093133 and or email [email protected]”
Dangote Group Management also issued a stern warning to those illegally transporting unauthorised goods through its trucks.
“Dangote Industries Limited also wishes to warn those that illegally transport materials on Dangote truck that such unauthorized goods, when found, shall be confiscated and such owners prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
It would be recalled that the company recently intercepted one of its truck loaded with contrabands in Ibadan, arrested the drivers and handed them over to the Nigerian customs for further investigations and prosecutions. The arrest was effected by a crack team of the company’s security personnel led by its Chief Security Officer who acted on intelligence, bordering on misconduct by some of its drivers.
While handing over the drivers and his motor boy to the Customs Authority, the Assistant General Manager in charge of Security Services, Ali Garba, explained that the company has a surveillance section that monitors all his trucks and drivers’ activities
