Customs Seizes N323 Million Contrabands In Kebbi
. Ojike Warns Smugglers, Syndicates Against Economic Sabotage
By Sulaimon Salau
The Kebbi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded seizures of contrabands worth N323 million in the third quarter of 2024.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller Iheanacho Ernest Ojike, who disclosed this at a media session in Birnin Kerbi, said the command recorded numerous successes in its core mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling during the period.
He identified the seized items as: 367 of bales of secondhand clothings; 16,300 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS); 74 cartons of different medicaments and 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50Kg each.
Others are; 180 pieces of donkey skin bundled in nine (9) sacks; 2 litres of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each; 1 unit of DAF truck and Toyota Corolla as means of conveyance, among others.
Ojike stated that five suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and they have been granted administrative bail in compliance with the provision of the constitution pending further investigation and proper trial of their case.
“The Duty Paid Value of the seized items is ₦323, 065, 567,” he stated, adding that the seizures were possible with the combined efforts of the outfield officers, the intelligence unit, patrol team leaders, other relevant units, sister agencies and well-meaning Nigerians who provided intelligence.
In the area of revenue generation, he said the Command generated the sum of ₦3.2 million during the period, despite several challenges has affected the Command’s effort at revenue generation for the federal Government; such as low volume of imports through the official border at Kamba.
He applauded the ‘whirlwind Team’, which is a special team created by the CGC and tasked with the sole responsibility of curbing the menace of petroleum products smuggling.
“Of course, we all know the implications of smuggling our petroleum products outside the shores of the country. Scarcity of these product is created here when these miscreant have their way. But this special team, whirlwind, has since swung into action and has successfully within the short period of their stay here reduced the menace of petroleum product smuggling in the state. They are a team that thrive on intelligence, and the results of their efforts speak for them,” he stated.
He stated that the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi and of course the federal Government are very passionate in seeing that the nation’s petroleum products are well utilized within the country.
He, however, noted that the Command would hand over 180 pieces of donkey skin and 74 cartons of different medicaments to Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectively.
He therefore warns smugglers and their syndicates that officers and men are well positioned and equipped to scuttle all their activities, and therefore, urges them to abstain from their nefarious act.
