Forty-five trucks of maize being smuggled to neighbouring countries have been intercepted in Sokoto State.

Vice President Kashim Shettima made the disclosure on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 in Abuja at the inauguration of the Public Wealth Management Conference organised by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).

Shettima also revealed that the Federal Government has uncovered 32 illegal routes through which food items are smuggled out of Nigeria in Sokoto State.

He said: “Just three nights ago, 45 trucks of maize were caught being transported to neighbouring countries. Just in that Ilela axis, there are 32 illegal smuggling routes. And the moment those foodstuffs were intercepted, the price of maize came down by N10,000. It came down from N60,000 to N50,000.

“So, there are forces that are hell-bent on undermining our nation but this is the time for us to coalesce into a singular entity,” he said.

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Shettima assured Nigerians that the pain will not last forever.

“We have to make this country work. We have to move beyond politics. We are now in the face of governance. Sadly, some of our countrymen are still in the political mode. They are the practitioners of violence, advocating that Nigeria should go the Lebanon way. But Nigeria is greater than anyone of us here. Nigeria will weather the storm.

“Forces are hell-bent on plunging this country into a state of anarchy. Those who could not get to power through the ballot box, instead for them to wait till 2027, are so desperate,” he said.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had had last week intercepted 15 trucks containing food items in Sokoto State.

Spokesperson for NCS, Sokoto Command, Mr. Abubakar Chafe, said that vehicles were arrested along Gwadabawa-Illela road.

Chafe said the interceptions were made due to the quantity of the farm produce the rucks were carrying.

He said the trucks were presently in custody of the command and that investigation had commenced to ascertain the owners and destinations of the food items.

He explained that the operation was carried out by a combined team of the NCS Sokoto Command, Officers of Federal Operation Unit and the Intelligent Unit of the Service.

Chafe added that the operation became necessary with the prevailing inflation of food items in the country.

The Star