Katsina: Jibia forum alleges extortion, seeks Tinubu, Radda’s intervention 

Amid frustrations, the Jibia People’s Forum in Jibia local government area of Katsina state, has accused the Nigerian Customs officials and other security agents of putting pressure on entrepreneurs doing their daily activities on the Katsina – Jibia road.

Expressing their frustrations during a press conference on Saturday, chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Gide Dahiru and secretary, Malam Bishir Lawal, lamented that “The vehicles carrying goods from Katsina to Jibia such as corn, wheat, salt, sugar, flour, sugarcane, sorghum, beans, fertilizer, cement, cassava, maize, millet, furniture among others spend about N75, 000 for every J5 car, and about N100, 000 for every truck.

“Also, vehicles carrying metals from Jibia road to Katsina spend about N160, 000, which is not the case with other local governments in the state. This is frustrating.”

According to the forum’s leaders, the lack of access to goods from merchants to Jibia community has left many families in poverty and hunger as some have migrated to other parts of the country, while others have left to foreign countries in search of sources of livelihood.

“We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dikko Umar Radda, the Department of State Services (DSS), Joint Border Drill Sector IV, Katsina as well as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) to do everything to possible address the problems facing Jibia community, including the security challenges,” Dahiru stated.

The forum particularly lamented that, “…in a journey of about 40 kilometers from Katsina city to Jibia, there are at least 30 checkpoints mounted by the Customs officials and other security forces on the road; Jibia town is one of the main towns bordering Niger Republic. This is frustrating our business activities.”

Speaking with Blueprint correspondent at the venue of the briefing, a businessman, Alhaji Sama’ila Mai Masara, also lamented that, whereas they buy their daily necessities from other parts of the country without threat by the security forces, the Katsina –Jibia road is a nightmare to people doing legitimate businesses.

“This development has led to the rise in the cost of goods and caused the collapse of many investments,” he said, adding: “We have taken our complaint to political office holders, traditional rulers and other government agencies but this has not yielded positive fruits.”