By Adetokunbo FAKEYE
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, comprising, Lagos and Ogun States has said, it made 1,119 seizures worth a total duty paid value of ₦10,395,123,943.
The Comptroller of the Unit, Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, who disclosed this during his press briefing in Ikeja today, Wednesday 10th January, 2024 adde that, a total number of 136 persons were arrested at various points within our area of responsibility.
“They were suspected to be smugglers, and after due diligence of uncompromising of profiling and investigation, they were charged to court and are at different stages of prosecution”, he said, adding, “16 people were convicted through the Federal High Courts for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export”.
Ejibunu explained that, the seized items
comprising of rice, vehicles, marijuana, tramadol, used tyres, poultry products, footwears, petroleum products etc. The most prominent of the seizures is foreign parboiled rice which amounted to 139 trailer loads (83,170 bags of 50kg).
A breakdown of other seizures, as provided by the Customs boss include: 13,706 kegs by 25 litres of PMS, 8,372 Kg of Indian Hemp, 2,942 pieces of tyres, 2,153 bales of used clothes, 3,095 cartons of frozen poultry, 320 cartons illicit drugs, 15 pieces of bullet proof jackets, 15 pieces of jack knives, and 68 pieces of military camouflage, 450 drums X 106 kg of carbide, 1 X 40 ft and 2 X 20 ft containers found to contain charcoal and 132 units of foreign used vehicles.
“16 people were convicted through the Federal High Courts for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export.
“Some other smuggling related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”, Ejibunu said.
On Revenue, CC Ejibunu said, the unit was able to recover a total of ₦851,719,905.01 as revenue through meticulous document checking. “We were able to identify shortfalls in duty payments from which demand notices were issued and accurate revenue were recovered. These are revenues that would have been lost by the federal government to the pockets of some uncompliant business men”, he added.
For 2024 Projection, CC Ejibunu said, “I want to reiterate that our battle to prevent smuggling will be intensified this year as we shall not relent in making seizures, arrests and prosecution of criminals who contravene the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. If they don’t desist from their criminal ways, this year will be tougher for them because they will lose their investments and freedom when arrested.
“Let me put on record that we shall lawfully arrest and prosecute any individual involved in the attack of our officers who are discharging their legitimate responsibilities. No attacker of our personnel will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law”.
On behalf of the officers and men of his unit, Ejibunu expressed profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, and members of the management team, compliant traders within his zone and the media friends who have been educating Nigerians on the dangers of smuggling.
