The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Ahmadu Ali, on Thursday said the protection of smugglers by members of border communities was hindering the curtailing of arms smuggling into the country.
The CG who made the revelation in Abuja, at a budget 2020/2021 defence and consideration, organised by the House Committee on Customs, said border communities see them as villains, insisting that the Service needs the help of other agencies in fighting smuggling.
“Our biggest problem with stopping arms smuggling, is that border communities’ gang up against us, kill us and burn our vehicles.
“They gang up to fight us, because they think the bandits (who smuggle arms), are more important to their lives than us. We need other agencies and communities to help us.
“Until that is done, customs is willing to do what it can, to stop that,” he said.
He added that “there is no nation that has been able to stop arms smuggling. I understand there are complaints that how can Customs not stop this.
“But we cannot effectively Police borders. We can only make efforts through the third tier, to curtail smuggling.”
