By Oyeniyi Iwakun
498 cartons of CSP Codiene Cough Syrup 100ml, about 21 exotic vehicles, ,, five trailers of imported rice and others with a Duty Paid Value, worth N1.12 billion has been seized by the Federal Operating Unit (FOU), Zone A , Ikeja, of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), in less thanfive weeks.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba, while briefing newsmen in Lagos, disclosed that other items seized include; 498 cartons of 100ml CSP Codeine Cough Syrup, 9,504 bags of foreign parboiled rice (15 trailers), 436 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, 333 cartons of frozen poultry product, 287 bales of used clothing, and 198 pieces of used tyres, among others even as he explained that most of the seized items will be given to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Borno State in tandem with Presidential directive, via the order of the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali
The comptroller implored owners of the seized vehicles to avail themselves for clarifications otherwise the cars would be forfeited to the Federal Government as entrenched in the Custom and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45, Laws.
He said: “ the 21 exotic vehicles, a truckload of Codeine, second-hand clothes, frozen products, imported rice, vegetable oil, and tyres at N484.5, N199.2, N51.7, N2.8, N125.9, N5.3, and N1.9 respectively.”
While reaffirming the command’s support for the Federal Government Policy on Rice: to encourage local rice farmers, the millers, he admonished the public to patronize the local rice which he believes is more nutritional and would create employment opportunities for our unemployed youths.”
The Customs boss assured that the codeine substance and the suspects would be handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and prosecution in the court.
Recall that the Codeine substance was banned by the federal government recently.
