The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has described as mischievous a post trending on the social media particularly WhatsApp claiming “that travellers into Nigeria should not disclose their correct residential address to the customs officers at the arrival lounge for security reasons”.
A public notice posted on the customs website and signed by the Deputy National Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah noted that the Service was not aware of any attack on a traveler into the country as a result of misuse of information declared to Customs officers on arrival.
It will be recalled that a certain anonymous message was circulating on WhatsApp a fortnight ago advising travelers into Nigeria through the nation’s airport not to divulge their correct residential address to the officers of the NCS as they took the same address and forward to kidnappers for the purpose of kidnapping the said traveler for ransom.
Customs therefore urged the receivers of the mischievous WhatsApp message to discountenance it, maintaining that “official security conscious should not amount to breaking the Law but includes not divulging important information to all manner of people in the foreign land before departure”.
He however warned that people should be careful with personal details especially when with people who have no need to know adding that the NCS interest was on cargo not the person as information was given on need to know bases and certainly not from every passenger.
Customs stated that “The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a mischievous advice being circulated on social media to travelers into Nigeria not to give their correct address for security reasons .For the avoidance of doubt NCS is not aware of any attack on a traveler into the country as a result of misuse of information declared to Customs officers on arrival.
“While urging receivers of this mischievous WhatsApp message to discountenance it, the Service wishes to say that being security conscious should not amount to breaking the Law but includes not divulging important information to all manner of people in the foreign land before departure.
“Generally, people should be careful with personal details especially when with people who have no need to know. NCS interest is on cargo not the person. Information is given on need to know bases, and certainly not from every passenger.
“It’s only from passengers in possession of physical cash above the threshold of ten thousand dollars. This is the position of the law.
“The author of this message is certainly not conversant with Customs procedures and should be discountenanced”, the statement concluded.
