By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Five women from Mali, Niger Republic, Ghana, Chad and Benin Republic have been arrested by the Joint Border Patrol Team of the Nigerian Customs Zone 3, Ilorin for stealing women wrappers in Nigeria and export same.
The women, according to the Customs Zonal Coordinator; Comptroller Adegboyega Peters while briefing the press in Ilorin said the accused women operate a syndicate of to groups.
The syndicate he said, operate in two groups based in both Abuja and Kaduna. The women were Fatima Mohammadu (38) from Niger Republic, Judith Kofi (29) from Ghana, Fanta Camara (30) from Mali, Fadima Taore ((37) from Chad and Fatimata Camara (39) from Benin Republic.
He said the women were nabbed along Lokoja – Abuja highway, last month when the Patrol Team intercepted one Mazda 626 with registration number ABJ 187 BF, conveying them from Zuba Abuja to Lokoja in Kogi State.
“On searching the vehicle, 15 bundles and 18 pieces of wrappers were found to be concealed in the bonnet and other components of the vehicle.
He said when arrested, the foreign women were found to be illegal immigrants without any means of identification who in Nigeria specialize in duping and stealing of women wrappers and most times uses charm to perpetrate their crimes.
Shedding light on the matter Adegboyega Peters said “one group operates in Kaduna and the other in Kano axis, prominently on big shops selling women wrappers as their targets. The 2 groups came into the country through Katsina and Seme illegal routes.
“The driver of Mazda 626 Mufutau Woye (34) is a Nigerian from Kwara State but reside in Kubwa FCT Abuja as a commercial driver. He was only hired to transport them “to and fro” Kogi State. Fatima Mohammadu (Nigerien) is the leader of the group.
“She invited and harbored Fadima Taore into the country. A Nigerian, Aisha by name resident in Kano, met Fatima Mohammadu and Judith Kofi in Libya and brought them into Nigeria.
“Fatimata Camara and Fanta Camara were brought into the country by their Nigerian boyfriends from Benin Republic but were later abandoned in Nigeria. Fatimata Camara, Fatima Mohammadu and Fanta Camara confessed to stealing 15 bundles of the wrappers worth Two Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Naira N255, 000 in Kogi State”, he further explained.
The success, according to the custom Comptroller was as a result of the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) when it announced the reopening of four (4) land borders; Seme in Lagos, Illela in Sokoto, Maigatari in Jigawa and Mfun in Cross River States.
He added that this equally led to the change of Names on 10th December, 2020 from the custom Joint Border Operations Drill (JBOD) to Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) as part of a Tripartite Operation, comprising Benin, Niger and Nigeria.
“For clarification, African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) is a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent within a 50 year period from 2013 to 2063”, Adegboyega Peters said.
Meanwhile, he said from the beginning of the year to date, Sector 3 has recorded One Hundred and Twenty (128) seizures including 1,584 Foreign Par boiled Rice 48 Units of used tyres
7 Motor Cycles 1,864 Jerri Cans of 25 liters PMS and 18 Jerri Cans of 25 liters AGO
Also, 21 Bales of secondhand clothing, 86 and 20 pairs of Men and Women used Cloths
21 Bags 50kg Foreign Sugar
5 Locally made Dane Gun, Jack Knife, Axe and Cutlass 7 Drums of PMS 3 Sets of Human traffickers making the total number of 80 (Specifically Children)
Meanwhile, the Immigration and National Agency for Prohibition of trafficking in persons (NAPTIP)
Had already been handed over 6 Illegal immigrants.