Breaking: Contaminated Food Werehouse Discover at Uyo: Babatunde Irukera.

Today, I feel an unusual mixed bag. For the first time, I publicly admit I am afraid! And I truly am. This weekend has been a roller coaster of some sort, not the type that pumps adrenaline; on the contrary, the sort that saps it. I am now confused and at a fork in the road. Should I be encouraged or discouraged? Motivated or demotivated? Inspired or retire? Energized or tranquilized? Activated or deactivated?

Early this year, reports came to me that some illegal activities were occurring in Uyo and contaminated food, especially rice was entering the market. Our zonal operatives had interdicted some. 

The CPC officers of the Federal Republic were ultimately caught in a massive criminal web that had included them being arrested. It took my yelling and scampering around to secure their release. I experienced the surrender of the rule of law as those who should be prey became hunters. 

A powerful gang of smugglers combined with the vilest men in both intention and violence, including weapons who procure expired, substandard, contaminated, unsafe rice who use boats to offload ships on the margin of Nigerian territorial coastline and then bring in the products by the innumerable creeks in the Niger Delta were exercising pressure, (or is it attempted influence?) on law enforcement to, not only release this contraband products, but to prosecute CPC officers and informants whose cover they had blown.

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Not only that, they were audacious enough to sue CPC in an attempt to secure the release of unsafe food which all lab indicators showed as substandard! The inmates appeared to have taken over and were running the asylum!

My outrage was indignant as this reality seemed stranger than fiction. I didn't have to reach deep to find the pit-bull in me- the whole enterprise had the combination of the core elements that have pumped my adrenaline for years and seen me pursue large corporations relentlessly until something gave, Pfizer is a notorious publicly known, but not only example. 

The core elements were exploitation, greed, taking advantage of vulnerable people, profit at the risk of injury or life, and violation of a law.

I knew that for consumers we had to strike back or we might as well surrender to the criminals, not just the capacity to restrain inappropriate conduct, but the vital obligation to protect citizens. We understood the risks associated with this initiative, but the vulnerability of consumers far outweighed the risk.

And so we began by rebuilding and rehabilitating our intelligence capabilities and conducting surveillance to gather intelligence, even as we battled a judicial process that was an onslaught of the criminals against us, the protectors. Finally, our intelligence was sufficiently credible and actionable. We proceeded to carefully plan a major sting operation on the multiple locations we had intelligence on. 

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As DG, I actively participated. I felt a responsibility to be on the front line if I expected people to put themselves in harm’s way. So after careful logistic/strategic and other planning, I called the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hamid Ali, a fine and incredible patriot! He personally engaged his operatives across the South/South Zone and was in return conversation with me till 11:00 P.M the night before I will depart with a CPC team to Uyo to join some of our operatives and assets on ground. Till much later that night, and as early as 5:45 A.M in the morning, Customs operatives from Oron, Uyo, Porthacourt and Owerri were in contact with me as we worked through how to secure the operation and keep people safe. I was received at Uyo airport by a battle ready team and we spent the rest of the day coordinating, surveilling some more and perfecting our plans including coordinating police involvement from Presidency to Calabar to Uyo. 

In particular, the Commissioner of Police in Uyo, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, a sharp, business-like, uncompromising and fastacting cop surpassed our expectations with strong support. By this time, we felt good about overall security, but even more concerned about operational safety as we received briefing about how dangerous and unscrupulous our targets are including the rather traumatizing story of some of the Customs officers, who weeks before, were attacked and almost killed and their patrol vehicle burned down completely.

It is against this backdrop that the different components of our operation assembled starting 6:30 a.m on Friday June 22 to execute what we considered a well planned operation. By 11:00 A.M, we had raided 3 major locations, market operations, a depot and a warehouse of these worst excuses for human beings, apprehended about 8 of them and had under control an innumerable number of bags of rice, paraphernalia including hundreds of self printed empty bags of known brands, machines for sewing bags, scales, generators, and most of all, the worst possible rice I have ever set my eyes on. Clearly, consumption of these presents risk of serious, perhaps even grave adverse effects to health. I was stupefied because even if I am careful about what rice we buy in my home, which you really can't be too careful about, what about what I eat when I visit a friend, or at a restaurant, or when I host people or meetings at work, or the several bags I buy and give out at Christmas? I was numb as you should be. 

But yes, we just busted a ring, something the locals were amazed about and openly testified had never happened to those guys who had become neighborhood and city lords. But they got it wrong! They chose a business that preys on people should have no survivability. And I really don't know if we have killed these ones beyond survivability, but I know we dealt a blow.

So you might ask, if it ended like this why the satirical drama of despondency that started this post? Well, like President George Bush who declared a war over by the proverbial "Mission Accomplished", it turns out that this wasn't over.

The next 36 hours became filled with unprecedented drama and pressure that involved officers from the police force, customs, Akwa Ibom State, purportedly from the judiciary and the Federal Ministry of Justice. I was amazed that these criminals had such a rapid response crisis management apparatus, and the reach of their institutional network. Our saving grace was in part because I was personally involved. They had folks from everywhere on their side. I had to re-engage, and even expand our own network.I was in communication with the outstanding Assistant Comptroller of Customs Sanusi in Porthacourt and Deputy Controller Charles Orbih on ground, as well as Officer Abdullahi Ibrahim from Oron who all acted as bulwarks for us. 

They demonstrated the patriotism that is uncommon and unknown. Commissioner of Police Ogunjemilusi not only resisted incredible pressure, but he also openly derided and admonished a senior police officer who had started to work against the interest of CPC and the people. He repeatedly took my calls and reverted with updates as we put out each new fire. I had to speak with someone very high up in Akwa Ibom State Govt to call off the purported SA to the governor who claimed to be acting on behalf of the State Attorney General to prevent detention of suspects and facilitate release of confiscated unsafe rice products. By Saturday June 23rd morning, the network of engagement got broader and deeper. 

There were claims that an injunction against detention and ensuring the release of the contaminated rice had been procured and there were officers who felt bound to release, just on account of the word of mouth that such an injunction now existed. Of course, I knew no such injunction could possibly exist. By this time, enter Act 3 Scene 2 with a purported senior lawyer of the Federal Ministry of Justice arriving the scene and directing everyone to stand down as she believed there could be an injunction, and that the “owners” of the rice were scared the products could not be entrusted to CPC as these potential defendants and fugitive other owners of the criminal enterprise feared the CPC could poison the rice to frame them up. 

Really? Being a lawyer myself, I asked to speak with her to clarify her role. I asked who she represented when she states that confiscated products should not be in the custody of the Federal Government and why she was even there being a govt lawyer and not an investigator? The system working the way it should, she's my lawyer and would defend me if I was sued. She claimed to have become aware of the interdiction by monitoring the news online that morning and as such knew she had to go to the police station immediately to intervene because of her prior familiarity with similar issues. She capricious and belligerent, refusing to desist or listen to me. 

I immediately called another fine gentleman, Mr. Dayo Apata, the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice. His response could not have been more timely, professional and swift, especially on a Saturday. He immediately intervened and directed the senior lawyer away from the location to her rightful role in protecting the Federal Government and its agencies such as CPC.

By this time, Saturday was closing and we could not quite yet stop to catch our breaths, but we had leant many lessons. This whole episode reads and sounds like a movie, I know, but indeed, it turns out that the truth is truly stranger than fiction.

What is most saddening is that, we have either been so jaded, or as a people, we've crossed the lines so many times, we don't even know where they exist anymore. Having experienced all these, but feeling accomplished anyway that we took one more baby step to protect citizens, only for the news to break and some people openly on twitter and elsewhere to strongly and sometimes adversarially defend these criminals including suggesting the villains are victims, political opposition or non supporters and as such should be let go, and the contaminated rice released to them. This was the most confusing. 

This remained the case, even after a barrage of evidence, and even news coverage. The paradox I started battling with was that, most of the criminals, and certainly the arrested ones didn't dispute the nefariousness of their conduct or non the wholesomeness of the rice, so what's the quality and propensity for criminal conduct or exploitation of some of these commentators? Some of the statements already taken are essentially confessional statements, yet some of the statements and on social media appeared to be defence statements. I understand the skepticism and cynicism that excessive and successive bad governance as promoted in our nation, however protecting people is neither the context nor issue to politicize. It's the one issue on which we must all agree, and together, confront. 

Government and its processes must be held accountable, and subjected to the highest scrutiny, but in the face of overwhelming evidence, or benefit of doubt, we should erred on the side of caution and resist the opportunity to capitalize on such an issues to discredit, or spar with government.

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The most apparent lessons to me are in all of these are:

Some of the perceptions that the worst rot and weakest will to do right exists at the very top of leadership in government is sometimes erroneous. Every step of the way during this episode, I have found the most senior people not only available, but even abhorrent of what is wrong. Individually and on their own merit, they provided support, protection and solutions.

Indeed, there is a battle for the soul and conscience of this country, and unscrupulous businesses and businessmen are not any less complicit than many in public or civil service. We should focus attention on the supply side of corruption as much as we focus on the demand side for the best results.

Many of the worst mistreatment and abuse or exploitation of citizens occur outside government. This does not diminish or condone exploitation in, or by government.

And finally, I have saved what some might consider controversial for last. With this experience, I am persuaded that the station of our nation right now is a time and place where and when we need moralists at the head, and supporting that very head. The rectitude and capital that confront the times we are in and shape the future we desire can only be found in persons with unimpeachable records of integrity and morality. Only then can they be the compass that guides and demands their own values and standards from those who work for, and with them. The story of our operation in Uyo ended well inspite of bad eggs, but because of strong, transparent and insistent leadership by the key senior government officials who humbled me with their transparency.

Sorry, my rendition is long, if a movie ever gets made, you will discover how much I shortened it and eliminated critical moments of suspense that have a better place in a motion picture.

For the legitimate pundits and skeptics who are open minded in good faith and may be persuaded, I attach some photos that will establish that these criminals pose a clear and present danger to our society.

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