There are indications that there is a growing re-commitment and dedication to duty especially anti-smuggling enforcement among the men and officers of Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) since the change in leadership of the agency.
One command that has introduced and maintained a monthly anti-smuggling report update is the Federal Operations Unit(FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos, where items with a total Duty Paid Value of N813,058,345 were seized in the month of August,2023.
The sum of N81,449,373.38 revenue was recovered through documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on consignments that were found to have been short-paid.
Addressing the media last week, the Ag. Customs Area Comptroller(CAC) of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu said that 91 seizures were made within the month under review but notable among them include 394 cartons of codeine; 6,911 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice loaded in over 11 truck; 345 kg of Indian Hemp;486 cartons of frozen poultry products;368 pieces of used tyres;13 used vehicles;32 cartons of expired batteries.
Others are, one 40 feet container bearing one used Toyota Corolla, 49 pieces of car rims,552 pieces of car used tyres, 205 pieces of used truck tyres and 32 pieces of motorcycle tyres; 292 bales of used clothes and 13,525 litres of Premium Motor Spirit(PMS).
In his words: “91 seizures were recorded within the month of August with 12 suspects in connection with some of the seizures. Worthy of note is the fact that apart from the cartons of codeine syrup we showcased during the last press briefing, additional cartons of the product were again intercepted making a total of 394 cartons seized within the period under review”.
He said, “In demonstrating the commitment of the Service towards safeguarding the nation’s economy from recalcitrant saboteurs; officers and men of the Unit have remained resolute in enforcing the Customs extant laws. While enforcing these laws, dubious importers and traders were either made to pay the maximum duty payable, through the issuance of demand notices or made to forfeit their goods to the Federal Government by way of seizing them.
Recall, he added, “that foreign tomato paste, used clothing, foreign parboiled rice, importation of vehicles through the land borders, used tyres, arms and ammunition without end-user certificates among others, are items that fall under the import prohibition list; their importation threatens our fragile economy.”
While condemning the culture of evading import duty among some Nigerians, he noted, “it is sad to note that some Nigerians would pay all duties and levies payable to the Customs authorities of other countries they import from, while they make conscious efforts to evade such payments into the federal government coffers.
He commended the compliant importers, saying they deserve some honour while also expressing the gratitude of the command to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, for the additional logistics supply of two trucks for the evacuation of seizures and a towing truck, saying “The provision of these additional logistics has eased our operations.”
