The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the raid on popular Apongbon market in Lagos Island by men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), describing it as illegal.
Adedeji Doherty, PDP chairman in Lagos, in a statement made available to The NEXT EDITION, said the party frowned at the aid on the market, stressing that the action of the Customs officials would depress the already battered economy of the state, which according to him, was initially accelerated by the sudden closure of the land borders.
While calling on the Federal Government to tread with caution, Doherty added, “How come the goods were not detected and seized at the borders, especially when the borders had been closed? What government should do is to restructure the agency and strengthen the enforcement unit, in order to reduce or stop illegal activities and smuggling along the borders.”
READ ALSO: Customs Comptroller-General Vows To Sack Corrupt Officers
Doherty maintained that by going into the market, operatives of the anti-smuggling agency were creating more hardship on Lagos traders and Lagosians, stressing that some of the people had their products in the warehouses long before the border closure, even as he wondered if the border closure meant they should not sell what they had in their warehouses.
He advised the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Alli (rtd) to return to the drawing board and set out another operational template which would be citizens-friendly, as the present template being used could only bring hatred to government and the entire political class.
