Troops of the Nigerian Army have intercepted two Dangote trucks and three additional vehicles that were allegedly carrying prohibited goods to the Republic of Cameroon.
Naija News understands that the trucks were intercepted on Friday and were paraded at the Nigerian police headquarters in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state.
While given an update on the operation, it was revealed that the trucks each were loaded with 600 bags of cement, weighing 50kg each.
This interception was a direct result of an executive order issued by the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
The order strictly prohibits the transportation of building materials across the border via Adamawa routes, this news platform understands.
During the joint presentation of the intercepted vehicles, the spokespersons for the governor and the police command, Humwashi Wonosikou and SP Suleiman Nguroje, respectively, informed journalists that the trucks were stopped just a few kilometres before reaching Jamtari.
Jamtari is a border village situated between Nigeria and Cameroon, Naija News understands.
“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,” SaharaReporters quoted Wonosikou saying.
He added: “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?”
On his part, Nguroje said, “Personnel have been deployed throughout the state to enforce the government order, banning transportation of building materials across the border.”
Nevertheless, the Yola depot officials of Dangote Cement, who were reportedly present at the scene, strongly refuted any claims of the products being transported to Cameroon.
One of them, who spoke reportedly addressed journalists on condition of anonymity for lack of authority, argued saying, “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.”
However, in a surprising turn of events, Abiola Oyetunji, who was listed as the contact person on the waybill, was taken aback to discover that the truck had already departed from the company’s depot in Yola.
She emphasized that the trucks are only allowed to leave the depot once the goods have been sold.
“I’ve not sold the cement yet; how could the truck have moved out of the depot in Yola? The driver told me he was at the depot up to this time,” she reportedly added.
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