Troops of the Nigerian Army have made a significant interception, halting two Dangote trucks and three others suspected of ferrying banned goods to neighboring Cameroon.
According to Sahara Reporters, the trucks, each laden with 600 50kg bags of cement, were seized and put on display before journalists at the Nigerian police headquarters in Yola, Adamawa state’s capital.
This interception comes hot on the heels of an executive order issued by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, prohibiting the transportation of building materials across the country’s border via Adamawa routes.
In a joint statement, spokespersons for the governor and the police command emphasized the gravity of the situation, condemning such illicit activities that defy government directives and aggravate the hardships faced by citizens.
“We’re here to address a disturbing trend in the state. As if the hardship on the people is not enough; there are some people who would want to test the will of the government and the government is saying such actions are unacceptable.
“We’re all living witnesses when the government came up with a policy of banning the movement of building materials across the country’s border. We’re a border state and we’ve had issues where items are transported across the border.
“But then the government, for building materials, would not want them transported out of the country. You can see behind me are trucks that were apprehended and brought here. They were intercepted by the military.
“And it is believed that these products are being transported out of the country, because if you look at it, where is the community at the border area in Adamawa State that requires this amount of cement to be used?”
However, officials from the Yola depot of Dangote Cement strongly refuted allegations that the products were destined for Cameroon, asserting their right to conduct lawful business activities within Nigerian territory.
“This is a clear violation of our right to do business! It is absolutely wrong for our trucks to be intercepted within the Nigerian territory.
“The goods in these trucks were procured by our customer, who requested them to be conveyed to Jamtari. It is therefore not in our right to demand an explanation as to why he wants them there.”
In a surprising turn, one Abiola Oyetunji, listed on the waybill as a contact person, expressed shock at the truck’s departure from the depot, indicating that the goods were still unsold.
This revelation raises questions about the circumstances surrounding the truck’s movement and highlights potential irregularities in the transportation process.
Dangote Cement Plc, a Nigerian multinational cement manufacturer, stands at the center of this controversy, sparking concerns about compliance with regulatory measures and ethical business practices in the region.
