By Our Correspondent
National News – The Nigeria Customs Service has launched disciplinary action against an officer accused of extorting a motorist along the Lagos-Benin Expressway after a viral video exposed the incident.
The footage, which circulated widely on Friday, allegedly showed the officer demanding a N200,000 bribe from a driver over vehicle documentation issues dating back to 2018.
The Customs officer was later paraded and handed over to the Customs Police Unit for further investigation.
According to the Nigeria Customs Service, the incident occurred during a patrol operation on the Lagos-Benin highway in Nigeria.
The service said it acted immediately after the video surfaced online, stressing its zero-tolerance policy on corruption, extortion, and other forms of misconduct involving personnel.
The viral recording reportedly captured the officer questioning the motorist about vehicle documents and previous clearances before insisting that outstanding payments had accumulated over the years.
During the encounter, the officer allegedly instructed the driver to “go and bring 200,” implying a demand for N200,000 before the vehicle could be released.
The motorist, who was believed to have secretly recorded the exchange using AI Meta glasses, challenged the demand and questioned the justification for such payment.
It remains unclear whether any money eventually changed hands before the vehicle was released.
Speaking during the parade, Controller of the Federal Operations Unit Zone A, CSC Hussaini Abdullahi, said the Customs Service would not shield officers found guilty of unethical conduct.
He added that disciplinary measures would be enforced without compromise to protect the integrity of the agency.
The development has renewed public concerns over alleged extortion and harassment by security and enforcement officials on Nigerian highways, especially involving motorists transporting already-cleared goods.
