By Kenneth Ehigiator

LAGOS— Nigeria Customs Service and owners of no fewer than 500 trailers loaded with essential commodities are at currently daggers drawn at Seme border over seizure of the trucks said to be in transit in the country on their way to Republic of Chad and some other African countries.

The goods-laden trucks were reportedly impounded by the Customs authorities in the last two months without words to the owners on why they were seized.

Addressing a press conferene at Seme border, yesterday, owner of the trucks, mainly Chadian nationals, complained that the vehicles were only on transit from Republic of Benin through Nigeria and had paid all the expected revenue to Nigeria Customs for passing through the Nigerian border, but wondered why the Customs impounded the vehicles without any explanation as to why the vehicles could not pass through Nigerian border.

Spokesman of the group, Alhaji Abu Na Muhammam, said the only explanation they had had from the Customs was that the trucks would be released, but were not told when and why the trucks were seized.

But spokesman for the Customs Command at the border, Mr. Ernest Olota, said it was not possible for vehicles in transit to be impounded, if all necessary fees were paid by owners.

He said the last time they had a similar experience, they were made to understand that it was due to security problems faced by Nigeria and were, therefore, not allowed to pass.

He said: “It is unfortunate that two months after our vehicles were arrested and detained, the Customs authorities have not told us anything as to why they impounded out vehicles and we paid all the fess we should pay,” he said.

Alhaji Na Muhammam, who noted that this last for seven months, said there was explanation to that effect then, but lamented that up till this time, no one had told them why the trucks were impounded.

He said they have other alternative routes to convey their goods but only preferred to go through Nigeria due to its closeness to their destinations.

He argued that the Nigerian government would continue to lose revenue should they use alternative routes to access their destination, regretting that most of the goods had started getting spoilt.

Speaking in the same vein, Alhaji Kabir Abdullahi Ambursa, a Nigerian and one of the owners of the trucks, remarked that goods worth millions of Naira were on the verge of becoming a waste, similar to what they experienced the last time their vehicles were apprehended by the same Customs at Maiduguri border.

He said the last time they had this kind of experience, some of their vehicles were still lying at Maiduguri border as they developed a mechanical problems due to the long period they were impounded.

Alhaji Kabir appealed to the authorities concerned to come to their aid to avert the losses that would result from their vehicles being abandoned for over two months.

One of the driver of the trailers, Alhaji Kachalla, said feeding at Seme border was becoming difficult by the day as the money given to them by their masters had been exhausted.