Passenger luxury buses coming to Nigeria from other West African countries through Seme Border will now go through scanning machine like containers and other trucks.
This measure is being put in place by the new Customs Area Controller of Seme, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu, as part of strategies to enhance national security through the border.
According to a statement from the command, the measure is also to ensure the standardization of trade facilitation and protect the territorial integrity of the country.
The statement by Selchang Taupyen, Customs Public Relations Officer, reads in part: “All incoming transport vehicles with particular emphasis to luxury buses must be subjected to scanning procedure as it is done with trucks and containers.”
Seme Border, a land frontier between Nigeria and Benin Republic is the busiest border in West Africa with highest volume of trade.
The command, according to the statement, also arrested and handed over two suspects for alleged drug trafficking.
The suspects, Sotoni Geopgesi, and Achada Nonbe, who had been handed over to the Commander National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Badagry – Lagos, were found to be in possession of four wraps of Indian hemp.
“The two suspects were arrested by officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service Seme Command on information patrol along Lagos – Badagry expressway on May 4, 2017. The accosted suspects were in possession of the following: four wraps of Indian hemp, one pack of rizzler, five cartons of Amoria mixture all suspected to be illicit.”
While handing over the suspects and drugs, Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu, the Customs Area Controller of Seme, disclosed that being the lead agency, Customs Service would continue to exemplify and inculcate the spirit of synergy and inter-agency co-operation among agencies of government at the land border.
He re-stated that the Customs would continue to perform among others the statutory role of securing the nation’s busiest land border from trans-border crimes that range from smuggling, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
A statement from the command stated that Aliyu has commenced strict enforcement to
