Customs, Police Feast On Tokunbo Vehicles On Highway

Abiola Seun |

Despite paying customs duty and other federal government charges at the seaports, vehicle importers still encounter harrowing experience moving already cleared imported used vehicles also known as tokunbo from Lagos seaports to Abuja.

Investigation over the weekend had shown that importers of already cleared used foreign vehicles who move their vehicles to other parts of the country without number plates spend additional N5,000 to N10,000 for security agencies mounting road blocks on the highway.

It was further learnt that depending on where the vehicle is headed, especially beyond Abuja, the un-receipted money could rise to N15,000.

With five Customs checkpoints from Lagos to Abuja and over 35 police checkpoints, the driver of the tokunbo vehicle drop N200 at each police checkpoints while customs officers collect a minimum not N2000 depending on the customs duty paid to government.

For instance, at Akure, Customs officers extort N3000 as Officer on Duty (OD) from tokunbo vehicles and more if customs duty is not fully paid to the government.

However, a clearing agent, Chukwudi Nnadi had told journalists that paying officers bribe is a norm if one want to get to destination on time.

According to him, customs can delay the vehicle from getting to the destination at the appropriate time because of O/D even when you pay a complete customs duty on the vehicle.

He however advised vehicle importers should endeavor to acquire number plate before taking already cleared vehicles out of Lagos.

His words, “Vehicle importers or lone importer should endeavour to acquire number plate before taking imported vehicles out of Lagos else,they should expect Customs stopping them for bribe. The truth of the matter is no one except company vehicles can pay correct import duty to government so to evade customs harassment, and their enquiry, individuals should endeavor to get a number plate to their vehicle.”

Also speaking, a tokunbo vehicle driver at the seaport, Kolade Ogunyemi has decried police harassment on tokunbo vehicles on the highway.

The driver who said he is used to taking vehicles from Lagos to Abuja, North or South-East said he charges bribes he gives security agencies on the road with his service charge.

According to him, “Driving tokunbo vehicle to Abuja, we charge N45,000 but the main cost is a little above N25,000 but we add N15,000 as bribe for officer on duty.”

He stated further, “if we refuse to part with N200 at police checkpoints, they delay us and we already have a targeted time to get to our destination and also because of the danger of night journey, we will so that we can deliver the vehicle on time for the owner,” Ogunyemi said.