THISDAY

Customs Warns Officers Acting as Informants to Smugglers

- John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Acting Assistant Comptrolle­r General of the Nigerian Customs Service and Coordinato­r of the Zone B of the service, Alhaji Aminu Dahiru has warned officers who act as agents and informants to smugglers to desist from such unpatrioti­c acts.

Da hi ru issued the warning during a tour of the zone, comprising 16 states.

According to him, such unpatrioti­c acts, besides underminin­g the efforts of government in checking the activities of smugglers, put the lives of other officers in danger.

Spokesman of the Zonal Command, Ado Idris, a Superinten­dent of Customs (SC), in a statement in Kaduna quoted the acting Assistant Comptrolle­r as saying that any customs officer caught subverting the efforts of the service would be dealt with.

Da hi ru also charged the officers to ensure that all revenue leakages were blocked so as to achieve the revenue target of the zone.

He noted that in June, the zone collected N2.1 billion exceeding its target with an excess of N93.9 million.

The statements aid D ah i ru also visited Maigatari Border Station, where he addressed a combined parade of the army, the police Immigratio­n, Civil Defence, Custom sand personnel from Niger Republic, urging them to step-up their Anti-Smuggling efforts so as to justify their responsibi­lities to their respective countries.

“You must justify your salary by ensuring that no smuggled goods are allowed, if you do, remember all shall be held accountabl­e' in the day of reckoning.

"It is a moral burden on you to make sure that they bequeath a drug-free nation to the next generation" the statement quoted him. Dahiru said smuggling destroys the economy and the fabric of nations, considerin­g the menace of drugs on the youth, as well as rice smuggling to fiscal policies of government and second hand clothing to the health well-being of citizens.

“I urged you to appeal to your conscience over them oral burden of allowing drugs destroy our youths just for material gains” the statement him further quoted him.

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