Nigerians have reacted to a now-viral video of a prominent Nigerian businessman and entrepreneur, Alhaji Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun, popularly called IBD Dende.
In the viral video, IBD Dende allegedly threatened to kill a customs officer over the seizure of his smuggled goods from the Benin Republic.
In the video, the customs personnel can be heard saying, “What have I done? He is threatening to kill me.”
Despite wielding guns, all the customs officers in the footage can be seen pacifying Dende.
The video, which has stirred the irk of Nigerians, has Nigerians calling for IBD Dende’s arrest and prosecution.
Reacting to the video, Uche Okoye lamented that because he is close to those at the helm of affairs in the country, he will go scott-free.
He said, “These are the people who are too close to the government. They are untouchable, probably because they have been doing dirty stuff for the government.
“Only God knows the kind of things they have smuggled for higher authorities.”
Hassan Mohammed Shuaib alleged that IBD Dende is the “No. 1 smuggler of dangerous arms and ammunition illegally into Nigeria and neighboring countries.”
Shuaib noted that, despite being arrested several times, he has not been persecuted.
“He’s been arrested more than 30 times previously and released.
“He’s a close ally of the current Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.”
While another Netizen stated, “See how an ordinary citizen is threatening a Customs officer; instead of arresting him, they’re begging him.
“The level at which a government agency (personnel) can be threatened by this individual speaks volumes on how rotten the system is and there isn’t redemption.”
IBD Dende also accused the customs boss of complicity in the smuggling of illegal commodities into the country.
Following the exposé, Bamibowale opined that “the Comptroller General of Customs should be suspended for an investigation into smuggling across Nigeria’s borders, while IBD Dende should be arrested immediately to name his collaborators in Customs and all prosecuted.
“Our border seems like a crime scene. It’s a shame.”
Arguing that the level of corruption in Nigeria grows deep, Peter D. argued that “this is a sample of what goes on in almost the entire civil service in Nigeria.
“Nigerians will try to politicize it because, of course, that’s what we do.
“This has nothing to do with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC, PDP, or any other political party. Trying to draw the connections is a waste of time. IBD Dende did not start what he does today.
“These things are almost as old as the civil service in Nigeria, only that these days technology has made it easier to expose them.
“I believe the 1966 coup plotters when they said they wanted to get rid of corruption. Killing the leaders was not right, but seeing the Nigeria of today makes it obvious that we’ve never had it right.”
