Zone B Customs generates N1bn from vehicles duty

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone B of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has generated over N1 billion as duty paid on vehicles since October 2019.

The controller, Mohammed Sarkin Kebbi, who made the disclosure at a briefing in Kaduna, said many car owners without duty are complying with the directives by the customs.

He said after the clampdown on car dealers, those whose vehicles didn’t have duties by customs, Zone B Unit became a duty collection centre where car owners can pay for their vehicles duty in the zone.

“Car dealers now pay for duties same with other car owners; so far we have collected N1.123 billion on duty from October 29 to date,” he said.

He explained that ministers, senators and other top government officials are now paying duties for their vehicles to avoid embarrassment on the highways.

He said by mid quarter of 2020, the zone can net N2 billion on vehicles duty alone and urged other Nigerians to also try and pay for the duty.

On other achievements recorded by the zone in 2019, he said from September to December, the zone intercepted 5,143 bags of foreign rice.

Others include seven motorcycles used to smuggle rice, 90 vehicles, 480 bales of second hand clothes, 759 jerry cans of vegetable oil and 1,429 cartons of spaghetti among others.

The controller said the duty paid value of the items seized was N430, 824,400. He said six suspects were arrested and would be prosecuted as soon as investigation is completed.