Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has denied going on a room-to-room search of an Abuja hotel. The operation which took place early in Thursday caused panic in the nation’s capital.
Spokesman of the Service Joseph Attah disclosed that their operatives went to Fraser Suites located in the Central Business Area of Abuja to carry out legal retrieval of “smuggled” vehicles. He also said, the hotel knew about it and cooperated with them.
Attah in a statement said: “Our operatives, relying on intelligence that owners of some exotic cars ( including bullet proof) without duty payment quickly removed their vehicles from a car mart and took same to Frazier hotel Abuja.
“On arrival at the hotel, our operatives interacted with the manager and eventually left with 4 vehicles leaving 6 behind, while expecting the manager to provide the keys to the cars left behind.
“However, the manager this morning gave a written undertaking to produce a Customs vehicle duty payment documents to support his claim that the vehicles were not smuggled. We assured him of prompt release of the vehicles as soon as evidence of appropriate duty payments are presented.
“Unfortunately, we woke up to mischievous misrepresentation of an otherwise professional engagement with the manager that had nothing to do with the guests in the hotel. Some even went as far as saying that the operatives went from room to rooms waking up guests to come out for vehicle verification. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
“NCS did not do such thing and has no intention to start raiding hotels. Our operatives never infringed on the rights and comfort of guests in the hotel.
“While advising Nigerians to be wary of social posts, we urge members of the public to discountenance the fabrication as NCS will continue to work in the interest of Nigerians.”
