Custom officers convince to defraud Agents

The Nigeria Customs Service and the licensed agents union have met over allegations that some officers were conniving with cyber cafe operators to hack into the payment accounts of the agents.

Kayode Farinto, the National Public Relations Officer of Association of National Licensed Customs Agents, told newsmen on Friday that a meeting was brokered between his association and the customs management.

“We met with him, complained bitterly and gave evidences to the fact that our various agents are being hacked in connivance with some of his officers and Webb Fontaine operators,” Mr. Farinto said.

“We were also made to understand that they are carrying out internal investigations and found out that most of these Webb Fontaine officials that may be involved are the ones that have been laid off.

“I want to commend the CG (Comptroller-General) of Customs. He didn’t pretend there wasn’t a problem. He agreed, then asked us as partners, how do we solve the problem and we gave the solution that is why a committee was set up.

“A local committee comprising of three DCGs, our national president, a retired comptroller, who is a member of our association and others.”

The members of the licensed agents had raised an alarm last December over repeated incidents where they lost millions of naira to fraudsters through hacking of their payment passwords.

At the time, the Customs spokesperson at TinCan Command, Uche Ejesieme, denied that Customs officers were involved in the hacking.

Customs officers conniving with cyber cafe operators to hack payment accounts — Agents

But the agency’s national spokesperson, Joseph Attah, also said  that a meeting was indeed held with the licensed agents over the hacking issue.

“The agents came and had a meeting with Customs management,” Mr. Attah said.

“A resolution was reached which scrapped all DTI cafes. They are now mandated to come for new security measures. This was adopted in the meeting.

“Yes, a committee has been set up to look into it. Let me tell you, no customs officers were involved. The hacking problem could be coming from those cyber cafe operators. That is why we closed down DTI cafes for better security measures.”

Source: ( Premium Times )