The PTML Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted army camouflage uniform suspected to have been imported illegally into the country.
Disclosing this in Lagos yesterday, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Folorunsho Adegoke, said the military camouflage was concealed in a Volkswagen vehicle and discovered by his men during routine physical examination.
One Emmanuel Eko who claimed to be serving in the British Army was arrested in connection with the seizure.
According to him, “We found in a bus something un-customs. It is a practice that where we have military wears, they are normally imported by military officers and they will write letter to our headquarters to that effect. But in this instance, we have a situation where an individual importer whose name he gave as Emmanuel Eko who claimed to be serving with the British Army but has a Nigerian passport and also a British Army ID card. When you look at the security challenges we have in the country, this can be used to commit one havoc or the other because these terrorists dress like soldiers.”
Adegoke said the importer did not seek required authorisation from the office of the National Security before importing the military wears.
He also said in view of the security challenges confronting the country, measures in ensuring that effective physical examination and intelligence gathering are carried out, must be put in place to check security risks.
The seized items include military wears, berets, jackets, boots, bags and helmets.
He said the suspect will be handed over to State Security Service for further investigation.
