Car dealers from the Southwest region on Monday staged a protest in Akure, Ondo State, against operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), accusing them of extortion, harassment, and the imposition of illegal duty charges.
The demonstration, led by the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), took place at the NCS office in Alagbaka.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, “We Pay Duty, Stop The Harassment,” “Customs – Uphold The Law, Not Extortion,” and “Our Demands Are Legitimate, Do Not Destroy Our Business.”
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During the protest, the aggrieved dealers blocked the entrance of the customs office while chanting solidarity songs. They also submitted a petition calling for the urgent intervention of President Bola Tinubu to address what they described as the “unwholesome activities” of customs personnel across checkpoints in the Southwest.
According to the dealers, vehicles that had already been cleared at Lagos ports were frequently intercepted on highways, subjected to fresh inspections, and slammed with arbitrary fees. They alleged that customs operatives often demanded illegal payments ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1 million, sometimes seizing vehicles under the guise of being on a “watch-list” or similar internal classifications.
Speaking on behalf of the group, AMDON’s National Vice President, Alhaji Ibrahim Bankole Adeniyi, who also chairs the Ekiti State chapter, condemned what he termed the constant harassment and embarrassment faced by members.
“We are here to express our displeasure at the way customs officials embarrass our members on the road. The level of extortion is alarming. Vehicles we have already cleared and paid duty for at Apapa Port are seized again at checkpoints, and officials impose outrageous illegal charges,” he said.
Adeniyi further appealed to President Tinubu to urgently caution the NCS, noting that members face the same ordeal in Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, and Ogun states.
“That is why we mobilised to their office today – to demand our rights. Enough is enough. We have met with senior officers, and they promised to take action. We have also issued them an ultimatum to stop all illegal charges,” he added.
Also speaking, the Ondo State Chairman of AMDON, Jenyo Ogunlade, lamented that members had lost millions of naira to alleged extortion.
“We pay duty at Apapa and clear our vehicles, yet customs officials impound them again and extort us heavily. This is crippling our business. We will not stop protesting until it ends,” Ogunlade said.
In response, the Comptroller of Customs for Ondo/Ekiti Command, Queen Obazee, assured the protesters that their concerns would be addressed. While insisting that customs officers operate within the law, she urged dealers to also ensure full compliance with existing regulations.
Mrs. Obazee further directed the release of all vehicles seized from AMDON members but maintained that the NCS would not hesitate to clamp down on defaulters.
