By Emmanuel Una

MFUM- THEborder village between Nigeria and Cameroon in Ikom Central, Cross River State, has suddenly come alive with various activities, as smugglers in a desperate effort to bring contraband into Nigeria have turned forest tracks in the border community and the rickety road into haulage routes.

Customs officers impounding smuggled rice.

Smugglers mill around the community in the day, drinking and smoking and at night, they load rice and other banned imported items on motorcycles and vans used in moving cocoa from the farms and other vehicles, hoping to beat the customs checkpoint in the rustic community.

However, they are now having a difficult time, as eagle-eyed customs officials at the checkpoint usually smell a rat.

Over 500 bags of rice have been impounded at the post in recent times and this has caused consternation among the smugglers, who took to the media to accuse the customs men of high handedness and extortion.

The Officer Commanding the Mfum Station, Mr  Sunday Solomon, who responded to the allegation in an interview with NDV, said: “Some desperate smugglers have been peddling baseless stories that we are high handed and are extorting money from members of the public, which is an attempt to give the Customs at the Mfum post a bad name to enable them continue with their illegal activities.

“We are focused in our efforts  to ensure there is no business as usual at the Mfum border post anymore and anyone with proof that we are high handed and corrupt should come up with it.”

Mr Solomon added: “The press, as a watchdog of society should form a synergy with us and other security operatives at the border to stop activities of these smugglers and other criminals who are making Mfum their point of operation.

Aiding of smugglers

“The driver of the vehicle that smuggled the rice, which led to the publication that we are high handed wrote an undertaking promising never to be involved in abetting and aiding of smugglers and other criminals along the Mfum area.

“The transparent leadership of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs, Col Hameed Ali, should be supported by all and sundry and we at the Mfum border will do our best to ensure peace is maintained here even as we will not stop doing our work.”