ECOWAS: Customs Launch Investigations Into Female Travellers Molestation At Seme Border

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Seme Border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has launched an investigation into reported cases of harassment of female travellers plying the Lagos-Abidjan trade corridor, even as it has set up a complaint desk at the Command for victims to report such cases.

Area Controller of Seme Customs command, Compt Timi Bomodi stated this at a press conference held at the Command on Tuesday.
Compt Bomodi stated that the attention of the Customs was brought to the anomaly by the visiting team of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The customs boss however said that the customs on its own has not received any report on its own about molestation of travellers, but that the service abhors such practices.

“The command has set up complaint desk to address the molestation of females on this corridor.

“Recently, we got a report from the visiting team of ECOWAS that there has been reported cases of females using the Lagos-Seme Corridor, and that the users of this road are being subjected to some form of molestation or the other.

“Even though we have not been able to identify and verify the individual cases in this regard, it is serious enough for us to take proactive measures and this is why we have set up this desk.

“The officers involved would be identified, numbers would be displayed, so that any female who gets harassed either sexually or otherwise on the course of going about their lawful businesses should make that report here at Seme to the Customs Public Relations Office, and that person would definitely get justice because we frown at any act whatsoever by any agency and its personnel to capitalise on its powers to molest innocent citizens.

“Stringent actions shall be taken against any officer of any agency found guilty of these allegations” Bomodi stated.