The Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated a total sum of N50,980,164,176 between January and October.
The NCS Area Controller of the Command, Compt.Adamu Abdulkadir disclosed this on Friday while displaying the 5,046 bags of foreign rice and other contrabands seizures made by the command.
Abdulkadir said that the revenue generated in the period under review signifies 14.4 per cent increment when compared to the same period in the year 2020 that recorded N43,631,491,480.
The controller said that the seizures made during the same period has a cumulative Duty Paid Value of N617,051,012.00.
“Today, as part of the aforementioned, displayed before you are the array of seizures which include 5,046 of 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 22 bales of second hand clothing.
“Others are One unit of 2017 Honda Accord car, One unit of 2020 Toyota Prado Jeep,500 of 25 litres kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which shall be auctioned due to its inflammable nature and proceeds remitted accordingly,” Abdulkadir said.
He said that the officers of the command would not relent on their effort at combating the menace of smuggling and would further sharpen their intelligence and widen their dragnet to ensure all nooks and crannies of the command are well covered.
Abdulkadir said that the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has been magnanimous enough to the command by providing 10 new fully kitted Toyota Hilux Vehicles to enhance operations.
He said that Ali has also boosted the morale of officers with the provision of other necessary facilities and equipment that can aid their 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 Thursday.
“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 said.
Abdulkadir called on 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 the law.
The controller further called on those blocking the roads and other access points and thereby preventing officers from accessing smuggling areas to kindly refrain from such act as it was also punishable under the law.
He said that section 158 of the CEMA, gave customs officer the power to patrol freely across the nation and appreciated the patriotic citizens that have contributed to the successes recorded by the command.
