The Nigeria Customs Service has commenced disciplinary proceedings against one of its officers following the circulation of a viral video allegedly showing the extortion of a motorist along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.
The officer, whose identity was not disclosed, was on Friday paraded by the service and subsequently handed over to the Customs Police Unit for further investigation and possible disciplinary action.
In a video shared on the official X handle of the NCS, the service described the incident as a case of unprofessional conduct, reiterating its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct among personnel.
According to the voice-over accompanying the footage, the Customs authorities immediately initiated internal disciplinary measures after the video surfaced online.
Speaking during the parade, the Controller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Lagos, CSC Hussaini Abdullahi, stated that officers found guilty of unethical behaviour would face appropriate sanctions without compromise.
He said the implicated officer was being transferred to the Customs Police Unit in Zone A for further investigation and other necessary procedures on behalf of the unit’s controller, G.I. Aliu.
The controversy followed the emergence of a video allegedly showing the officer demanding N200,000 from a motorist during a roadside encounter.
The motorist was said to have secretly captured the interaction using AI Meta glasses.
In the footage, the officer was seen questioning the driver over vehicle documents and previous customs clearances while insisting that there were outstanding payments linked to the vehicle dating back to 2018.
The officer reportedly told the motorist that the unpaid charges had accumulated over the years and suggested that the issue could be resolved with a payment of “200,” allegedly referring to N200,000.
Reacting, the motorist questioned the demand before walking away from the scene.
It was not immediately clear whether any payment was eventually made before the vehicle was released.
The incident has further renewed public criticism of alleged extortion and harassment by customs operatives on highways, particularly involving vehicles and goods previously cleared at ports.