Customs Seize N1bn Contraband

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, has announced the seizure of N1.01bn worth of contraband between April 10 and May 15.

Briefing journalists in Lagos, the Controller, NCS FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Mohammed Garuba, stated that in the same period, the command recovered N28.87m from underpayments bringing the amount generated in May to N1.039bn.

He listed the items seized as 30 exotic vehicles, nine trailers of foreign parboiled rice, 1,078 cartons of frozen poultry, 216 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 173 bales of used clothing, 683 pieces of used tyres and eight sacks of Indian hemp weighing 134 kg, among others.

A total of 14 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, according to the FOU controller.

Commending the officers of the command for living up to their responsibility in suppressing smuggling, Garuba advised members of the public to be patriotic and report any smuggling activities in their areas to the service.

He said, “After court processes and condemnation, the Presidential Committee on Internally Displaced Persons chaired by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), has approved the evacuation of 42 trailers of 50kg rice, 3,366 Jerry cans of 25 litres vegetable oil, 175 gallons of 5 litres vegetable oil, 1,564 bales and 122 sacks of used clothing, 196 sacks and 938 pairs of used shoes to the Borno State Government for distribution to the IDPs through the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport.”

Meanwhile, the Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Customs Service, Zone A, Aminu Dahiru, has advised newly promoted officers of the service to see their promotion as a call to higher responsibility.

He gave this advice in Lagos while decorating the officers.

He charged them to redouble their commitment to revenue collection, be unrelenting in the suppression of smuggling and diligent facilitators of legitimate trade.

Dahiru also advised them to shun any act that would compromise national security and portray the service in bad light as they owed the nation more dedication and continuous contribution to national economic and social growth.

“This is not a time to wear new rank and feel you should relax. Always remember that Customs functions are knowledge-based and all promoted officers should rise up to the occasion of higher responsibility,” he said.

He directed all newly promoted comptrollers in the zone who were not heading any command in acting capacity to resume at the zonal headquarters.