BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR–The Oyo/Osun Command of Nigeria Customs Service ,NCS, was the beehives of activities, as the Command displayed massive seizures of 5046 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 22 bales of Second Hand Clothings, one Unit of 2017 Honda Accord Car, one unit of 2020 Toyota Prado Jeep, 500 X 25L, kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) among numerous prohibited items intercepted within ten months of operation.
The command added that the seized items shall be auctioned due to its inflammable nature and proceeds remitted accordingly.
The Custom Area Controller, AR Abdulkadir, while address the press also disclosed that
it was able to achieve over 14.4% revenue growth from January to October 2021.
According to him the revenue grow from N43,631,491,480.34 in same period of 2020 to
N50, 980,164,176.27 in same time of 2021.
He noted that the command was able to make seizures with a cumulative Duty Paid Value (DVP) of N617,051,012.00 between that period of 2021.
On how to improve its operation, he said ” To enhance our operations, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Ibrahim Hameed Ali (Rtd) has been magnanimous enough to provide the Command with Ten new fully kitted Toyota Hilux Vehicles.
The Comptroller General has also boosted the morale of officers with the provision of other necessary facilities and equipment that can aid our performances.
All these have further re-awakened the vigour and strategies in our anti-smuggling drive as exemplified in the seizure of 500 bags of foreign parboiled rice made in a residential building in Osun State by my gallant officers in the early hours of this morning.
To this effort we owe him, his erudite Management Team and the Nation at
large our commitment and focus in fighting the menace of smuggling that has bedevilled our Country as this would have a relieving effect on the economy and by extension, the livelihood of the populace.
He assured that the officers of Oyo/Osun Command shall not relent on their effort to combat the menace of smuggling, rather, we shall further sharpen our intelligence and
widen our dragnet to ensure that all nooks and crannies of Oyo and Osun States are well covered.
He urged the good people of Oyo and Osun
States to stay away from engaging in mob attack on officers performing their lawful duty as there are sanctions prescribed against such offender under Sections 11 and 165 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 LFN 2004.
“For those of you that block the roads and other access points, thereby preventing our officers from accessing smuggling areas, all in the name of vigilante, kindly refrain from such act as you are also punishable under Section 11 of the CEMA Cap C45 LFN 2004. You should be informed that Section 158 of the CEMA, gives Customs officer the power to patrol freely across the Nation.
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