The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says many escort vehicles used by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are from smugglers.
NCS assistant comptroller-general (ACG) in charge of ICT/modernisation, Aliyu Saidu, disclosed this on Tuesday ehen he appeared before the house of representatives committee on customs.
Saidu also accused high-profile Nigerians of supporting smuggling activities.
He said from the NCS database, the number of Hilux vehicles imported into the country have dropped, “but you will find them in hundreds in town”.
“Unfortunately, today, the big men in Nigeria, I didn’t say National Assembly members, all their escort vehicles (Hilux) are smuggled vehicles,” he said.
Saidu, however, asked the lawmakers to amend existing laws to make it difficult to smuggle vehicles into the country.
Chairman of the committee, Leke Abejide, urged the NCS to put adequate measures in place to check vehicle smuggling.
He also asked the NCS to get apps ready to save “the image of customs and Nigerians from all these embarrassments”.
