The Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Seme/Badagry border, Mr. Ali Wakili, has suggested the creation of regional centre for combating trans-border crimes as being done in other parts of the world.
Wakili, who said this at a conference on trans-national crime and security in West Africa sub-region at the Foreign Service Academy, Lagos, added that joint efforts on training and harmonizing the operation of security agencies should also be carried to avert trans-border crimes.
Observing that the malaise of smuggling could not be totally eradicated because continuous transformation being introduced by perpetrators, he pointed out with proper funding and rejuvenation of all security agencies, reviewing of anti-smuggling law, reduction of poverty and unemployment rate among other indices, smuggling would be reduced to barest minimum.
According to him, ”Sustained efforts in removing the dichotomy between the Anglophone and Francophone countries; effective implementation of the ECOWAS treaty guaranteeing easy passage of citizens, free movement of goods and services, trans-national crime would be brought to the barest minimum.
”Inconsistent and out-dated laws regulating the activities of smuggling especially the Nigeria Customs and Management Act makes smuggling to continue to be attractive, as the laws are too liberal to deter potential smugglers. Fines and terms of imprisonment are ludicrous for modern day economic.”
Although he acknowledged that it was the statutory role of the Customs to combat smuggling, the expected role, he said was being hampered by low morale, inadequate funding, poor remuneration, lack of high-tech equipment, especially in this era where information technology and electronic commerce were relevant.
In his presentation, a researcher with the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, Dr. Ogaba Oche, said it was imperative that policy makers showed serious concern on how to combat transnational crime because of its far reaching consequences.
He urged West African governments to tackle the underlying factors such as social inequalities and injustice, deprivation, widespread youth employment and alienation and other social vices that made people to find solace in crime.
”Secondly, with the understanding that that transnational crime is, in many ways, a threat to the nation-state there should be stronger adherence to the various international agreements designed to curb transnational crime,” Oche said.
According to a professor of Criminology and Sociology Law at the University of Jos, Etannibi Alemika, prevention and control of organised crime require effective measures against the political, economic and legal factors that engender the growth of organised crime in a nation or region like West Africa.
The don, who spoke on ”Nature and pattern of transnational organised crime in West Africa,” said such measures include, “consolidation of democracy and good governance in order to create an environment in which political instability, conflicts and wars are eliminated or at least minimised.”
