By Adetokunbo FAKEYE
Nigeria, Lagos – The erstwhile Controller of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu achievements at the Unit is mind boggling.
Ejibunu tenure successes recorded, as stated by him in his media briefing on Friday, 19th of April, 2024 include; improved suppression of smuggling by making more seizures and the arrest of suspects served as a deterrent to intending smugglers. Increased revenue recovery through meticulous documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on goods found to have underpaid. Enhanced trade facilitation by providing escorts for goods on fast track for compliant traders.
From the 10th September 2010 till date, a total of 3,189 seizures were recorded with a duty paid value of Thirty-five Billion, Nine Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Four Hundred and Twelve Naira Only ₦35,908,331,412.00) and a sum of three hundred and eighty-six (386) suspects arrested in connection with some of the seizures. While twenty-two (22) people were convicted for committing different Customs offences.
The anti-smuggling czar added that, prominent among the seizures but not limited to the following are: -222,285 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (370 Trailer loads); 1,140,864 Litres of premium motor spirit (33 Tankers); 16,432.30kg of Indian Hemp; 26,303 pieces of used pneumatic tyres; 11,175 Bales of used clothes; 751x 70mm of live cartridges; 12,912 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products; 5,033 pieces of donkey skin; 450 x 106kg drums of carbide; 233 cartons x 225mg of tramadol; 7,640 cartons of expired and unapproved drugs; 303 Units of foreign used vehicles; 104 Haojue motorcycles.
The Unit, according to him also recovered the sum of Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Fourty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Fourty-Eight Kobo N2,256,549,232.48 through the issuance of demand notices (D/N) due to transfer of value and wrong classification.
Below is the full briefing:
MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE CONTROLLER FEDERAL OPERATIONS UNIT ZONE A, COMPTROLLER HK
EJIBUNU, ON HIS OVERALL ACTIVITIES BETWEEN 10TH SEPTEMBER,
2021 AND 19TH APRIL, 2024.
Gentlemen of the Press
I humbly and most respectfully welcome you to today’s epoch-making press
briefing, which is my last in the Federal Operations Unit Zone A. I want to use this medium to express my profound gratitude to God and the management of the Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, dsm, fnipr,psc(+). My Stewardship in this great Unit unarguably enjoyed the morale and logistics support that was needed for me to succeed.
My appreciation also goes to the management, officers and men of this Unit for their untiring support, dedication, gallantry and uncompromising posture in the fight against smuggling and revenue recovery. You worked both day and night to ensure that the successes we recorded were achieved. Unfortunately, while on legitimate duties within Zone’s area of operations, eight (8) officers sustained different degrees of injuries while five (5) lost their lives in the line of duty; may their souls rest in peace through the mercy of God (amen).
It is appropriate at this time to once again thank members of the press for being true allies by informing and updating the public about the activities of this Unit.
My journey of leadership of the Unit that commenced on the 10th September, 2021 till date was a bit challenging but above all, very successful. A part of the challenges encountered when I assumed duty newly was the continued rate of suspected smugglers attacks on officers while on duty.
To mitigate such levels of attacks, the Unit embarked on sensitisation programmes and courtesy visits to traditional rulers of border communities which yielded a drastic reduction in the levels of deadly confrontations and attacks.
I cannot hurriedly forget the cooperation of most of the traditional rulers such as the Onipokia of Ipokia Kindom, Ogun State; Oba Yisa Sola Adeniyi Adelakun Olaniyan (JP), the Alake of Egba Land, Ogun State; Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, and the Olu of Ilaro/Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Ogun State; His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, who visited the Unit twice to commiserate with the officers and men over the loss of some gallant men on duty.
Other successes recorded by the Unit under my watch include; improved suppression of smuggling by making more seizures and the arrest of suspects served as a deterrent to intending smugglers. Increased revenue recovery through meticulous documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on goods found to have underpaid. Enhanced trade facilitation by providing escorts for goods on fast track for compliant traders.
From the 10th September 2010 till date, a total of 3,189 seizures were recorded with a duty paid value of Thirty-five Billion, Nine Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Four Hundred and Twelve Naira Only ₦35,908,331,412.00) and a sum of three hundred and eighty-six (386) suspects arrested in connection with some of the seizures. While twenty-two (22) people were convicted for committing different Customs offences.
Prominent among the seizures but not limited to the following are: –
222,285 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (370 Trailer loads)
1,140,864 Litres of premium motor spirit (33 Tankers)
16,432.30kg of Indian Hemp
26,303 pieces of used pneumatic tyres
11,175 Bales of used clothes
751x 70mm of live cartridges
12,912 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products
5,033 pieces of donkey skin
450 x 106kg drums of carbide
233 cartons x 225mg of tramadol
7,640 cartons of expired and unapproved drugs
303 Units of foreign used vehicles
104 Haojue motorcycles
The Unit recovered the sum of Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Fourty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Fourty-Eight Kobo N2,256,549,232.48 through the issuance of demand notices (D/N) due to transfer of value and wrong classification.
Let me use this medium to express my profound gratitude to compliant traders, importers and agents for being patriotic and sincere in their declarations, and for being compliant with the extant Customs procedures. My gratitude also goes to patriotic members of the public for providing useful and timely information that aided the success of some of our operations.
Thank you for listening.