NURTW foils attempts to courier baby’s corpse, rifles, hard drugs

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has listed the corpse of a one-year-old baby, cocaine and riffles as some of the items that people have tried to send through courier services operated by its members.

Ibrahim Bako the Coordinator, NURTW, Area 1, Garki, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) revealed this while speaking on the experiences of some of the union members registered to operate courier and logistics services.

Bako narrated how attempt by suspected ritualist to send corpse of a one-year-old baby through courier from Area 1 was foiled.

He said the suspect attempted to send a parcel concealing the baby’s corpse to Gwagwalada, a satellite town in the territory.

“From our previous experiences, we have seized cocaine and other hard drugs

“We have also discovered a corpse of a year-old baby being sent to Gwagwalada in the FCT as well as two riffles, among others.

“The contrabands and the persons who came to send them were handed over to the police.

“Some of the suspected criminals are still in the prison,” he said.

The transporters who are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and obtained a license from the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST)’s Courier Regulatory Department are allowed to operate courier and logistics services.

Bako stressed the importance of following the right channels in courier and logistics services delivery.

According to him, NURTW members engaging in the services always ensured that only genuine parcels were collected from the senders.

He added that any goods being tampered with did not follow the right path.

“Some will not come to our office but prefer sending their items through our drivers to other destinations by giving them small amount of money.

“Automatically, that is not proper, there is something hidden there,

“However, if we suspect a parcel possibly contains contraband like hard drugs or illegal arms, we will ask the person to open it for a scrutiny.

“If there is no illegal item, we will close it back and send it,” he said.

Furthermore, Mr Chike Okoro, the General Manager of Jokimna Motor Limited, Jabi, said the company always use the right measure to curtail, fight or prevent issues of tampering with customers” parcels and goods.

According to him, people fall victims to criminal activities while patronizing roadside drivers because of their charges which tend to be lesser than corporate companies.

Some FCT residents who spoke to NAN on the matter said, they usually receive their parcels and other messages intact and timely, especially by tracking the movement before arrival.

Miss Sade Ojuola, a public servant, said she has never had any bad experience of missing items since using courier services.

According to her, the deployment of tracking technology has really helped courier services nationwide to boost customer’s confidence in them.

“More than three years now, I have been using them and the experiences have been so fantastic. Anything sent to me, not only that I receive them intact, but also timely.

“Immediately I order anything, I monitor them and track them on my phone how they are moving,” she said.

Also Speaking with NAN, Mr Christian Chukwudi, a cloth seller, praised transport companies engaging in Bus Cargo Service for helping his business to grow by reducing his frequent traveling across the country.

According to him, he purchased goods from different regions in Nigeria and safely received them via bus cargo services in Abuja to sell.

‘’I am a businessman; I major in men’s clothes. I used to travel to Lagos and Onitsha nearly every two weeks before, to buy my clothing materials.

‘’ Since I have started ordering my goods by bus cargo service, I seldom travel now, maybe once every three months and the deliveries have been so easy and reliable.

‘’More than five years now, neither of my waybills nor transported goods have ever been tampered with ‘’ he said.

A dispatch rider of Dominion Logistics, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that proper training would sustain effectiveness and transparency of courier services.

(NAN)