Armed Customs officials, in the early hours of Wednesday, invaded the Agip Market in the Agege area of Lagos State, allegedly burgled shops and looted property belonging to traders operating in the market.
The traders, while recounting their losses during a protest on Thursday, said property worth millions of naira were reportedly stolen by the officials who ransacked their shops after dislodging the security guards manning the premises.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the aggrieved traders, Ijeoma Eze-Okoye, said the officials allegedly burgled and looted bags of rice, and money, among other goods in shops of traders operating in Akerele and Agip markets in the space of three weeks.
She said, “My shop is at Akerele Market. My shop is the first shop they broke into around 1am about two weeks ago. It was Customs officials that stole my goods. I was informed that Customs officers were at our place (shops) around 1am.
“They said somebody pointed my shop to them and the Customs officers alongside the hoodlums that they brought broke into my shop and looted my goods. They carried bags of rice valued at N6m. They broke into two shops after my own. They carried the bags of rice inside there.”
Eze-Okoye said she reported the matter at the Elere Police Station, adding that when she was asked how she knew Customs officials were responsible for looting her shop, she said the guards and a resident in the area saw them during the operation.
A trader in Agip market, Aina Irawo, whose shop was also affected, accused the Customs officials of stealing no fewer than 200 bags of rice from her shop.
Irawo said, “Have mercy on us. Customs officers came to burgle my shop. They carried 200 bags of rice yesterday (Wednesday). They also broke my safe and carted away N6m. Have mercy on us. We are only trading at Agege, we didn’t go to the border.”
