NCS FOU Rakes in N1.039bn in One Month

Eromosele Abidun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja has announced that it has intercepted various contrabands and other goods on detention with a duty paid value (DPV) N1.010 billion between April 10th to May 15 2018.

The Controller, FOU, Mohammed Uba Garba, who disclosed in a chat with journalists in Lagos said the feat was possible having deepened its anti-smuggling operations.

In the same vein, he said the unit through its interventions recovered N28.85 million from underpayments making a cumulative of N1,039,156,454.00 within the weeks under review.

“The detained/seized items include: 30 Exotic vehicles including 7 Toyota Hilux (2018 models), 3 Toyota Prado Jeep (2017) 1 Range Rover, 1 Ford Edge (2015), 5,516c bags of foreign parboiled rice (9 trailers), 1,078 cartons of frozen poultry products, 216 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 173 bales of used clothing, 683 pieces of used tyres, 8 sacks of Indian Hemp weighing 134 kg among others. Also, two containers with no: MSKU130295/2 and MRKU877714/0 have been seized for false declaration with a DPV of over 25 million naira alone. A total of 14 suspects were arrested in connection to these 125 seizures.

“Let me commend the Officers and Men of the Unit for living up to their statutory responsibilities in suppression of smuggling, blocking all revenue leakages and enhancing trade facilitation towards sustaining best international standards. We have remained unflinching with our mandates and no amount of distraction will deter us from performing our statutory duties. We will continue to make this zone uncomfortable for smugglers to operate and urge every Nigerian to be patriotic and report any smuggling activities in their areas to the Service and any intelligence provided will be treated in confidence, “he said.

He added: “Let me advise these economic saboteurs as well as fraudulent importers to invest their resources towards legitimate trade and desist from engaging in smuggling activities, as the Service and indeed the Unit will not renege on our statutory functions most especially in suppressing smuggling.

“For the avoidance of doubt, after Court processes and Condemnation, the Presidential Committee on IDPS chaired by the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has approved the evacuation of the following items to Borno State Government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NASCT): 25,318 bags of Rice 50gk (42 Traillers), 3,366 jerrycans of 25 liters, 175 gallons of vegetable oil(5 litres), 1,564 bales and 122 sacks of second hand clothing, 196 sacks and 938 pairs of used shoes. Hence the reason you see trucks lined up by the Government warehouse wall.

“I also want to use this opportunity to thank the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire management for their untiring logistics support that brought about this feat as well as you the media for your continuous reportage of our activities.”