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The Customs Area Controller (CAC) Comptroller Boyiliya Binga (left) taking journalists around the Command’s warehouse to see seizures, yesterday. Displays cannabis, clothing, shoes, other seizures worth N197million
By Kenneth Jukpor
The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has expressed dissatisfaction at the wastage of 5,646 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice worth N124, 776, 600 which expired in its warehouse.
Recognizing the tough economic times and opportunity of these goods sent to the various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the country, the Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Boyiliya Binga told newsmen that the Command has written to several States as well as the Customs headquarters on the need to evacuate the items.
Some of the seized bags of smuggled rice have been in the customs warehouse since 2014 and most of them have expired even as they pose health hazards to the officers of the Command.
However, other items at the Command’s warehouse include used clothing and used tyres which Comptroller Binga attributed to the massive seizure by the Command in recent times as the warehouse has been filled to the brim without space for the newly seized items seized by officers of the Command.
The expired bags of rice were said to have been allocated to undisclosed Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) but are yet to be evacuated due to logistics problems.
Meanwhile, the CAC also expressed optimism that a newly Customized Customs speedboat would soon be released to the Command to aid their operations in curbing smuggling along the creeks and waterways.
He also assured newsmen that the Customs headquarters was looking into the Western Marine jetty contract which had been awarded but the contractor abandoned the project.
Comptroller Binga also showcased a new structure built and furnished to contain three operational offices to dissipate the age-long burden of office accommodation the Command had suffered over the years.
Speaking on the challenges facing the Command, CAC Binga said; “The dearth of operational materials such as boats and vehicles has impacted negatively on the efficiency of anti-smuggling activities in the Command. However, we have been able to repair three boats not minding the cost implication just to see that the problem of smuggling on the creeks is addressed”
The CAC also appealed to the states which were allocated items to IDPs from the Customs headquarters to speedily come to receive the items in future as it would help create space in the warehouse for more seizures.
In one of the recent seizures, the Comptroller revealed that the Command nabbed 806 loaves of cannabis with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N21,157,500 in August, 2018.
Other items at the warehouse include; 219 kegs of vegetable oil worth N2,628,000; 500 bales of cloth with DPV of N42,000,000; 42 sacks of shoes with DPV of N6,413,400, 14 sacks of clothes with DPV of N588,000.00.
The total Duty Paid Value of the seized items at the Command was N197,887,446.00.
