Grains traders at the border market of Tsamiya in Bagudo local government area of Kebbi State, have alleged insenssant extortion by security agents at various check points in the border area.
Narrating their ordeals to journalists at Tsamiya border market, the traders claimed that, they were being extorted on every market day by security agents stationed at the 77 check points along Tsamiya/Koko road to the tune of over N10m.
Reacting, the Police has denied the allegation while the Customs and Immigration Service said, their Comptrollers were not in office to respond to the allegation.
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The state police command public relations officer, SP Nafiu Abubakar, said the command was not aware of the situation and has not received any letter from the market association on the alleged extortion.
He said, recently the police heard of an incident that, the Bagudo /Tsamiya road was blocked and the Commissioner of Police immediately ordered the Area Commander to look into the issue saying, the Area Commander has intervened and the situation had been calmed.
“He is still investigating the incident, We don’t know if it was caused by extortion until we receive the report of the investigation”.
Also the chairman, Grains Suplliers Association in Bagudo local government area of the state, Alhaji Rabiu Mainasara said, large sum of money is being collected from traders while bringing their goods to the market on market days.
According to him, from Koko to Tsamiya town, there is over 77 check points and from Tsamiya to Benin republic border, there is also 56 check points saying, we pay N650,000 on trailer load of grains, N200,000 on Counter vehicle, N150,000 on Mazda load, N77,000 on pick-up load and N61,000 on First lady load of grains and also N500 is being paid on a 100kg load of grains carried on a motorcycle before passing through the check points.
“Boys known as ‘camp boys’ are assigned to mark the motorcycles as they pass through the check points, so we hardly get profit from the grains we bring to the market”.
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He said, they didn’t want people to take laws into their hands that was why we wrote to all heads of the security agencies appealling to them to caution their personnel on excesses of their men and officers at the check points but instead of things to change its getting worse.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman Rice Traders Association in Bagudo local government area, Alhaji Usman Bala said, the Tsamiya border market serves not only people across the country but neighbouring Niger and Benin republics and we lost over N10m to extortion on every market days to security check points.
The Caretaker District Head of Tsamiya, Alhaji Umar Magini, called on various security agencies in the state to look into the plight of the market traders as the township road is always congested every market day due to vehicular and human traffic.
He appealed to state government to help in expanding the market or relocate to a more convenient place in the area.