Emerging Drama As Customs Allegedly Refutes Arrest Of Ex FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed’s Son Abdullahi For Paying N300,000 Import Duty Instead Of N124m For His MClaren 650s Coupe Sport Car

An emerging Drama as started playing Customs have refuted a widely reportedly information credited to it’s spokes person.

The two versions of the event are produced as sourced

Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that a campaign of calumny within the leadership hierarchy is some quarters of the nation may have been launched directly
targeting the family of Bala Mohammed through his son, Abdullahi Mohammed.

According to the information received, the national custom service through a consortium of online mediums had made publications indicating that the Nigerian Customs service had arrested the son of the former minister over the underpayment of a custom’s duty on a vehicle. The online publications accredited the statement to the spokesperson for the custom’s anti-smuggling outfit in Lagos, Uche Ejesieme. The gist of the publication went on to add that Abdullahi Bala purchased the said vehicle for N850million and owed N123.7million on duty payment.

However in talking to the spokesperson of the Customs service, he was quick to debunk the report of Bala Mohammed’s son’s arrest. He was emphatic in stating that the Customs had not identified and/or indicated that the son of a former minister was arrested. “Whoever says that we arrested Bala Mohammed son should provide us with the evidence that we arrested such a person” said the spokesperson who went on to clarify that the Customs service is not in business of witch-hunting, neither are they a political organization. “We are only concerned with custom matters, at no time did we tell anyone that the son of a former minister was arrested by us”. The spokesperson credited to the publishers of such news as mischief makers.

The said erroneous report – as it was initially published on Saturday January 30, 2016 by an online medium – was widely syndicated to fifteen [15] other online mediums who then copied the report verbatim.

The Customs service is expected to clarify the matter on Monday.

The Initial report detailing the arrest produced below

Operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja Lagos on Friday, arrested Abdullahi Bala, the son of the former Minister of FCT under President Jonathan, Sen. Bala Mohammed for alleged import duty underpayment on his exotic vehicle, a MClaren 650s coupe.

Sources revealed that investigations are underway to unravel whether there were other vehicles in his custody that either underpaid or evaded duty payment.

According to the Spokesman of the Unit, Uche Ejesieme, the vehicle’s duty ought to be N124 million but upon investigations, it was discovered a mere N300,000 was paid, thus defrauding the government of about N123,700,000.

Ejesieme said the man has been released on bail, while investigation into the matter was ongoing. “The man claims to be former minister’s son. He was arrested on Friday. But has been released on bail since it’s a bailable offence. The investigation is ongoing at least to know how he was able to get away with paying just over N300,000. Our Officer in Charge of the Legal department says the duty should be about N124 million”, the Spokesman stated.

Findings also show the vehicle costs about $280,000 (over N800 million) in the US. The MaClaren 650S Coupé starts at USD $265,500 and USD $280,225 for the 650S Spider in the US, while in Canada, pricing is CAD $287,000 and CAD $305,500 respectively.

According to Mclaren “Every millimetre of the McLaren 650S’s Carbon Black Alcantara interior has been meticulously optimised for maximum driving pleasure and unparalleled comfort.Not only does the McLaren 650S’s styling take your breath away, its exterior and interior have also been designed to keep your eyes on the road. The dashboard is laid out simply and logically, the steering wheel uncluttered. The low cowl – another benefit of the powerful V8 being positioned behind you – allows you to scan the road without obstruction, while the tops of the arches are positioned directly above the front wheels and are clearly visible from the driver’s seat. This means you can position the McLaren 650S perfectly, whether you’re clipping an apex at the Nürburgring or manoeuvring into a parking space”.

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