Adhekegba, who arrived from the U.S. on May 16 via British Airways, claimed officers initially demanded N5 million, later settling for N1 million paid via a PoS merchant with a personal PalmPay account…
LAGOS — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has defended its officers accused of extorting N1 million from a Nigerian returnee, Oke Adhekegba, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, stating the amount was a legitimate duty payment.
Adhekegba, who arrived from the U.S. on May 16 via British Airways, claimed officers initially demanded N5 million, later settling for N1 million paid via a PoS merchant with a personal PalmPay account. He told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism that no official account was presented.
Customs spokesperson Usman Abdu refuted the bribery claims, explaining the passenger’s 10 suitcases contained goods valued at over N3.1 million, including perfumes, bags, and clothing.
“These items attracted charges totaling N1,000,004, calculated in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, and duly remitted to the government,” Abdu stated, attaching receipt evidence.
The officers involved, K.O. Adebayo and C.C. Ugboma, were identified in preliminary findings, but Customs maintains the process followed proper procedures.