It will now be returned to its owner, Bankers Warehouse Limited.
The sum of N24,489,500 that the bullion van was also carrying at the time it was seized, belonging to Access Bank Plc, was also returned to the bank.
The bullion van, with number plate FKJ 993 BZ had for about two years been kept in the custody of Customs, Abeokuta, while the seized money was deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The release of both the bullion van and the confiscated money to their owners followed the intervention of the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
The Controller, Ogun Area II Command, Bisi Alade, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists at the Command’s office, Abeokuta.
This is just as Alade also said that the command generated N2,042,846,429.57 for November 2023.
He said, “On April 22, 2022, officers and men of Joint Border Patrol Team at the Olorunda axis of Ogun State, intercepted the used bullion van with number plate FKY 993 BZ found to have concealed some bags of foreign parboiled rice and N24,489,500.00, along the Sokoto-Ijoun/Joga road, Abeokuta axis of Ogun State.
“The foreign parboiled rice which were 12 bags of 50kg each were carefully concealed in the said Vehicle.Consequently, the said vehicle and the items were conveyed to the Customs House, Abeokuta for safekeeping.
“After conducting examination on the vehicle, the said amount of money was discovered and deposited at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Abeokuta branch for safekeeping. The vehicle was detained while the rice was converted to seizure in line with section 168 of Nigeria Customs Service Act,2023.
“In connection to the above seizures, 3 suspects were arrested, detained, granted administrative bail and subsequently charged to Court for aiding smuggling.
“In a bid to retrieve the detained Bullion Van and the money, the Bankers Warehouse Ltd and Access Bank wrote an appeal letter to the CGC for release on compassionate ground.
“Based on the outcome of investigation and recommendations of the Investigation Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, the CGC granted an approval for the release of the detained Van and the Money in line with the provision of section 248 (1) and (2) of NCS Act,2023.
“On this note, on behalf of the CGC, the Bullion Van with Reg. No. FKJ 993 BZ in our custody and the sum of N24,489,500.00 deposited at the CBN are hereby handed over.The process for the retrieval of the said amount of money shall be completed before the end of the day.”
Alade said that the agency will continue to deploy sustained intelligence, surveillance, effective monitoring and robust stakeholders’ engagement in their operations to tackle all manners of economic sabotaging acts in and around Ogun State.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Project Manager at Bankers Warehouse Limited, Benedict Okondu, thanked the NCS on behalf of the company for the release of the bullion van.
Okondu expressed regret over an incident where some staff members deviated from the standard operating procedure, tarnishing the company’s reputation.
The Access Bank Plc’s representative, Mrs. Adeola Adekanbi, affirmed that during her visit to the CBN to collect the funds, the money remained secure and intact.
