Police van smuggling rice pits Ogun police against Nigeria Customs

The Ogun State police command has denied ownership of a police vehicle seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in the State.

The NCS Controller in Ogun 1 Area Command, Bamidele Makinde, told newsmen on Tuesday that the vehicle with police number plate, PF 1089 SPY, was arrested with 27 bags of foreign parboiled rice.

Makinde said the driver of the vehicle fled when he sighted customs officers on the road.

Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was not aware of the seizure of any police van by the NCS, promising to find out.

He said the command would not have loved to join issues with the NCS, saying however, that in order to set the record straight, there is need to make some clarifications.

“The number plate on the vehicle which is PF 10889 SPY is not a police number plate, as no police vehicle will be numbered in such a manner,” he said in an official statement.

He expressed dissatisfaction that the NCS, which has unfettered access to the top echelon of the police command, did not contact it to confirm whether it owns the vehicle or not.

“The command hereby wishes to inform members of the public that the said vehicle is not a police vehicle and the number plate on it is fake and the police has nothing to do with it,” Oyeyemi said.