Customs promises support for Ogun branded rice

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday declared support for the new inaugurated local rice produced by the Ogun State government.

The rice, MITROS OFADA RICE, was launched into the market last week by the Ogun state governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun.

The NCS, Ogun State Command Area Controller, Sanni Madugu, who spoke of the support for the rice at a news conference at the Command headquarters, Abeokuta, said the command had circulated the sample picture of the branded rice to Customs Officers to ensure facilitation and support of the policy of government towards the promotion of local production of rice.

The development came as the Command disclosed that contraband items worth about N63 million had been seized from smugglers in the last one week.

The Command said in line with it assurance to be on the trail of smugglers during the Yuletide, 14 assorted vehicles, 391 50kg bags of rice and other items which included used clothes, used fridges, used electronics and shoes were seized.

Madugu put the duty paid value of the items at N62, 693,000.000, saying, “As promised, we were on our toes for them and in fact some new ways of smuggling these items were discovered and stopped. Officers and men of this Command have fulfilled the promise of making more seizures during the Yuletide.”