How Customs ACG, Others Defrauded Man of ₦96m Over Fake Container Auction – Verydarkman

Activist and social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has alleged that a man was defrauded of ₦96 million in a purported Nigeria Customs Service auction involving eight containers.

VeryDarkMan made the allegation in a video, claiming that the victim was introduced to individuals who told him that the Nigeria Customs Service had containers containing vehicles available for auction at the Lagos Port.

According to him, the man was allegedly asked to pay ₦12 million for each of eight containers, amounting to ₦96 million.

He said the victim, suspicious of the transaction, insisted on verifying the claim at the Customs headquarters in Abuja before making payment.

VeryDarkMan alleged that the victim and the individuals involved travelled to Abuja on July 26, 2026, where they reportedly visited the Customs headquarters in Maitama and met an Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) in his office.

He claimed the ACG allegedly confirmed the purported auction and directed that the containers be minuted to the victim after payment.

According to VeryDarkMan, the victim subsequently transferred ₦96 million to an account identified as belonging to one Abiola Aremu Fawole.

He said the victim was also allegedly given bills of lading indicating that the containers contained vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz cars.

However, VeryDarkMan alleged that the victim later discovered that the containers referenced in the documents did not exist.

He further claimed that checks on the bill of lading showed that the only container linked to the documentation contained tramadol rather than the vehicles the victim had allegedly paid for.

VeryDarkMan described the incident as an alleged fraud carried out with the involvement of individuals who purportedly had access to the Customs establishment.

He, however, stressed that his allegation was not against the Nigeria Customs Service as an institution, saying he had met “a lot of good people” within the service, but alleged that there could be “bad eggs” within the organisation.

He said he intended to forward the matter, including the identity of the ACG allegedly involved, to the Customs authorities and called for an investigation by relevant agencies, including the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

VeryDarkMan also claimed that the victim had taken the matter to court and that the judge handling the case recused herself after allegedly identifying a potential conflict of interest involving the ACG’s family.

He appealed to those allegedly involved in the transaction to refund the ₦96 million, while warning Nigerians to exercise caution when approached with purported Customs auction opportunities.

The NCS is yet to respond to the allegation.