Umar: Facilitating Trade in Katsina without Compromising Economy, National Security
Francis Sardauna examines the efforts of the Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in facilitating trade, suppressing smuggling and other transborder crimes without compromising economy, national security
As part of efforts to put an end to the menace of smuggling, the Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in recent times has engaged in a renewed discernible effort of aggressive anti-smuggling operations thereby tightening the state's land borders against nefarious activities of the economic saboteurs.
The command under the stewardship of Comptroller Muhammed Umar, is deploying all necessary tools and revolving strategies to ensure that the core mandates of the Service of revenue generation, facilitation of legitimate trade and suppression of smuggling amongst others are vigorously and professionally achieved.
This is because actualising the functions of revenue generation and legitimate trade facilitation depends solely on how smuggling activities are aggressively suppressed to the barest minimum, and the synergy among security agencies operating within and outside border communities.
To substantiate this synergy, Comptroller Umar, on assumption of office on 13th September, 2023, embarked on a familiarisation tour to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda and heads of all security formations in the state where he beseeched their support and cooperation to actualise the Nigeria Customs Service's mandates in the state.
He also visited the Jibia-Magama and Jibia-Maje border Stations in Jibia local government area, Dankama border in Kaita local government and Birni Kuka border Station in Mashi local government area of the state and held interactive sessions with chairmen of the councils, leaders of various business associations, traditional and religious leaders.
This life-driving interactive session was equally held in Babban-Mutum, Kongolam, Zango and Mai'Adua border stations located in Baure, Daura, Zango and Mai'Adua local government areas where participants unanimously agreed to support the NCS in tackling smuggling and other transborder crimes for economic growth and development.
After the first-of-it-kind familiarity tour, Comptroller Umar incontinently swung into action by embarking on whirling and sustainable anti-smuggling strategies aimed at eradicating all forms of bottlenecks militating against economic development in the state in order to boost revenue generation.
His efforts in actualising the core mandates of revenue generation, facilitation of legitimate trade and suppression of smuggling and protection of the society, has made the Command to be known for not only intercepting contrabands, but also arresting and prosecuting the men behind the mask for economic prosperity.
This knack of exposing those behind the smuggling activities through strenuous operations and ensuring their timely prosecution as well as pressing for their conviction at the courts obviously become an impediment to the economic saboteurs. This led to the crippling of the smugglers' nefarious activities in all border communities in the state.
The anti-smuggling combatant's revolving tactics, transparency and operational principles in stemming the transborder crimes being orchestrated by the criminals has led to the blockage of all the 12 border stations in the state in accordance with the Federal Government's directive on border closure.
Unarguably, trans-border crimes such as smuggling and proliferation of small arms and light weapons have been suppressed in the 12 border communities, thereby paving the way for improved legitimate trade facilitation and protection of lives and properties in the hitherto smugglers epicentres.
These frantic efforts of Comptroller Umar and the ongoing aggressive patrol by the antismuggling operation unit of the command are yielding tremendous results, and has translated into the seizure of numerous uncustomed goods or contrabands across the state.
For instance, barely six months of his stewardship, the command has intercepted 369 contrabands and generated the sum of over N1.132 billion in 2023 fiscal year despite the challenges of banditry and border closure with the neighbouring Niger Republic.
The 369 contrabands seized by the command, included but not limited to used vehicles, tyres, second-hand clothing, vegetable oil, and foreign parboiled rice, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N553,339,240.00 in its ongoing anti-smuggling operations across the nooks and crannies of the state.
Although the N1,132,831,484.75 revenue generated within the period under review was a shortfall from the 2023 revenue target of N1,304,548,912.93 given to the Command, it indicated an improvement in revenue by N299,110,632.35 from N832,946,852.40 revenue generated in the preceding year (2022).
Interestingly, this improved revenue represents 87.8 per cent of the revenue target issued to the command by the federal government in spite of the security challenges bedevilling the state. The Command is also ensuring compliance with the border closure directive by strictly adhering and enforcing the principles guiding it.
Speaking on the revenue generated within the period under review while decorating 30 newly promoted officers of the command, Comptroller Umar said he made significant progress in fostering synergy with other security agencies in the state for intelligence gathering and improved operations within and outside the border corridors.
He explained that the Command has a cordial working relationship with the State Government, traditional institutions, religious leaders, border communities, and other stakeholders in the trade supply chain and would continue to facilitate trade without compromising economy and national security.
He said: “Since my assumption to office as the Customs Area Controller, the Katsina Command has continued to collaborate and develop good working relationships with the State Government, traditional institutions, border communities and other stakeholders in trade.
“The Command has made progress in fostering synergy with other sister security agencies for intelligence and enhanced operations. However, despite the challenges of banditry and border closure with the Republic of Niger, the Command's revenue collection for the 2023 fiscal year amounted to N1,132,831,484.7 only.”
According to him, the command wouldn't have recorded the numerous achievements without the support of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, MFR, his management team, officers and men of the Command and other Units of the Service.
However, another strategy adopted by Comptroller Muhammed Umar in suppressing the menace of smuggling is the resuscitation of the Customs Community Consultative Forum in border communities in the state.
The revitalisation of the consultative forum enabled the Service and members of border communities in the state to rub minds on sustainable ways of stemming smuggling and other transborder crimes for improved economic activities.
It also served as a viable and veritable platform for men and officers of the Service to sample relevant opinions of border communities and proffer solutions which further deepened genuine economic activities across the state.
The customs community consultative forum apart from resolving issues in border communities, features periodic engagement with leaders of business associations, traditional and religious leaders within the border frontiers.
These exceptional performances of Comptroller Umar in less than six months of his stewardship, has stemmed the impunity and the flagrant abuse of the federal government policies by ardent smugglers, who used to operate at the border with dexterity and reckless abandon at the risk of officers' lives.
His achievements within a shortest period of time is testified by residents of border communities, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, traders, traditional and religious leaders. They showered encomiums on the seasoned officer with vast experience in various Customs formations, units and departments.
Former President Buhari lauded Comptroller Muhammed Umar, for vigorously promoting community inclusion in his preventive antismuggling strategy. He praised the inter-agency cooperation and collaboration, which according to him, increases the prospects of security agencies defeating criminal elements.
Buhari, who showered the encomiums on the Customs chief when he received him on a courtesy call at his country home in Daura, said Umar has greatly tackled the activities of smugglers and enhanced customs/community relationship in the state.
Speaking during the visit, Comptroller Umar said he stopped by at the former President's abode to intimate him about recent customs activities under his watch and enjoy the wise fatherly counsel from the elder statesman.
Umar told the former President that since assumption of office in the state, the Nigeria Customs Service has been enjoying cordial relationship with traditional rulers, community leaders and members of the business community in the state
For the District Head of Babban-Mutum, Alhaji Haruna Abdullahi, Umar is an astute custom Comptroller who is facilitating trade without compromising economy and national security.
He said: “This Comptroller (Umar) has proven to us that the Nigeria Customs Service personnel are not our enemies, rather they are here in Katsina to promote legitimate trade and address the issue of smuggling.”
Also, the Chairman of Jibia Local Government, Alhaji Bashir Maitan, while describing the Customs Comptroller as a unifier and a dedicated officer, urged traders and other residents of the border community to unite and work with the customs personnel for effective border management.
He said the Magama border is strategic to Nigeria Customs Service operations, and all borders around it represent a strategic gateway to not just trade and economic development but also for national security management.
On his part, a trader in Birnin Kuka border community, Ibrahim Shehu, said border communities in Katsina State now have cordial working relationships with the Nigeria Customs Service due to the unwavering commitment and determination of Comptroller Umar.
The traversing of 12 border communities in Katsina state by Comptroller Muhammed Umar, and other revolving operational strategies are yielding tremendous results because transborder crimes such as smuggling, trade of small and light weapons and importation of uncustomed goods had significantly reduced in the state.
These transformative efforts of Umar have enhanced security, improved legitimate trade facilitation and boosted revenue generation in the state without compromising economy and national security.
The command under the stewardship of Comptroller Muhammed Umar, is deploying all necessary tools and revolving strategies to ensure that the core mandates of the Service of revenue generation, facilitation of legitimate trade and suppression of smuggling amongst others are vigorously and professionally achieved