There was tension yesterday, as angry car dealers set ablaze Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, patrol vehicle, following a clash with customs’ officials in Kaduna metropolis.
The officials had gone to a car mart on Rabah Road, Kaduna North Local Government Area, at about 3p.m., to impound vehicles without import duties from car dealers, when the clash occurred.
However, a swift intervention by the Kaduna State security outfit, code-named Operation Yaki, saved the situation from degenerating further.
An eyewitness explained that the officials had gone to a car dealer’s showroom, identified six luxury cars that they said have no valid papers and towed four of them away.
However, before they came back for the other two, the dealers had whisked them out of the mart and mobilised their members to confront the officers.
According to the witness, “the Custom officials had gone to Issa Kaita Road, to impound vehicles that have no import duties from a showroom. They succeeded in impounding six and took two away.
“But when they came back for the remaining two, the car dealers mobilised and went after them. Luck ran against the Customs driver as the dealers caught up with him, dragged him down and set the patrol vehicle on fire.”