• 500 tankers of fuel smuggled daily
Startling revelations yesterday came from one of the delegates to the National Conference and eminent traditional ruler, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Elder Jacob Gyang Buba, when he hinted that an illegal underground tunnel exists between Nigeria and Cameroun.
Buba, a former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, said the route was being used by traders from both countries to perpetuate their illegal activities.
He made the shocking revelation at the sitting of the National Conference Committee on Land Reform and Boundaries at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
As he spoke, some delegates chuckled that the tunnel could be a viable route for the smuggling of arms by members of the Boko Haram sect and urged the military to quickly locate and block it as part of their onslaught against insurgents.
The monarch highlighted the lapses at the different exit points of the country which ranged from lack of coordination, poor facilities and rivalry and power play among the various security agencies at the border posts.
“We are not serious in handling these things because somebody’s interest is concerned. There is lot to do about this national security matter,” he said.
Elder Buba further revealed that over 500 petrol tankers carrying petroleum products are smuggled daily from the volatile Bama town in Borno State to Cameroun.
According to him, “many people in our neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroun are living on products from Nigeria.
“For instance, in Bama near Mauduguri, there are over 500 petroleum tankers loading daily to cross over to Cameroon. In fact, there is an underground tunnel through which Petroleum products are siphoned to Cameroun.”
The traditional ruler also said that one of the key thriving businesses in Ogun State is smuggling across borders.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
