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The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), Federal Operations Unit(FoU) Zone A Command , Ikeja, Lagos has made seizures of smuggled goods worth N7billion within the last five months in 2022. The Command also recovered N500 million as debit note(DN) raised on short payment within the same period.
Deputy Comptroller Ali Garko from the Unit ,stated this on Thursday, while speaking at the Powerful Pen Media Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ)one day training programme on capacity building for Journalists on Customs Modernisation and Operations,held at the Chapel’s Secretariat in Apapa, Lagos.
Garko said that the command made over 100 seizures every month from forests and unapproved routes.
He said over 28 suspects were in the FOU cell and over 35 other cases were already in court.
Speaking on a topic titled “Factual Reporting and National Security,he said the FOU has responsibility to ensure that fraudulent and criminal activities which may not have been noticed at the port could be addressed by the Unit
He said national security is the responsibility of both customs and the society and therefore called for support from Nigerians.
Speaking on a topic titled “The role of Marine Customs in Combating Crimes on the Waterways”,Deputy Comptroller Sahalu Adamu who represented the Customs Area Controller(CAC) ,Western Marine Command Abubakar Umar ,said smuggling is a major reason of unemployment in the country.He said the nation loses millions
of revenue to smuggling and this trend has adverse effect on the economy.
He said the reason why people smuggle is to evade duty, stressing that in order to discourage smuggling , government had to impose high duty on goods with the ain to encourage local production so that the economy can grow.
“We should stop patronizing contraband goods,so that our economy can grow”he said.
He noted that smuggling”Retards economic growth of indigenous technology It results in dumping in our markets sub- standard and undesirable goods.
He noted further that the effect of smuggling is so devastating to any economy because of its attendant consequences,which include unemployment, armed robbery and other heinous crimes.
Adamu said the Western Command in its fight against smuggling had made over 28 tons of seizures of Canabis Sativa worth over N2billion in the last five months of the year.”
Smugglers should leave the water because the Customs will not rest until they are put out of business,arrested and prosecuted.*he said.He appealed to the media and the public to assist the Customs in the fight against smuggling,by providing useful information to the service.
He called for inter agency collaboration and intelligence sharing to enhance anti snuggling activities.
In her welcome address the Chairman of Powerful Pen Media Chapel,Udeme Clement said the reason why the chapel organised the one day capacity building training was to educate maritime Journalists on proper and accurate reportage of the industry,”We organised this capacity building programme to acquint Journalists with new trends in the industry particularly with modernisation of customs operations and procedures with the aim of giving an accurate reportage of events.
In his goodwill message, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency( NIMASA) ,Dr Jamoh who was represented by the mouth piece of the organization,Edward Osagie said ” The Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria(MAJAN),is on the right trajectory and we will support you in your vision”
He encouraged the association to continue in their good effort at reporting the industry positively.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion include the President of National Council of Managing Directors and Licenced Customs Agents(NCDMLCA)),the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,Lagos State Chapel,Mr.Ajayi Adeleye,amongst others.
