- Pledges to defend officers
- Smugglers lose N207m to agency
By Uzor Odigbo
Special Correspondent, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) while mourning the killing of its anti-smuggling operatives, who were gunned down by suspected armed robbers at Dogon Hawa, Katsina State, has promised to reward the officers posthumously.
This decision was taken at a management meeting following the recent murder of Chief Superintendent of Customs, Maidama Yabo, and Assistant Superintendent of Customs (I), Babandi Shaba.
NSC Controller General, Hameed Ali, declared that service officers would apply appropriate force to defend themselves on duty.
And, despite the tragedy, the anti-smuggling war of the NCS is at its peak in the South East to checkmate the activities of economic saboteurs.
NCS officers at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ Owerri have stepped up their monitoring and compliance war against smuggling, spreading their searchlights across the region and their efforts are yielding results.
Seizures in Zone A
The NSC also disclosed that its Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ collected within three weeks a total N783,649,203.2 through seizures of vehicles and other items bordering on smuggling, concealment, and under declaration.
The unit made a seizure of SUVs worth over N1.3 billion through an intensified operational modalities of the field operatives, backed with credible information.
The seizures – ranging from smuggled vehicles of different brands, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, medicament, tyres to various general merchandise – have seen Zone A leading other units in the country in the fight against smuggling.
According to the unit, a total 54 seizures were made and 16 suspects arrested.
NCS Area Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Garba, confirmed that total 27 assorted vehicles with duty paid value (DPV) of N228,215,429.1 were seized.
DPV of N303,260,671.85 was also realised through interception of other contraband and three containers on false declaration.
The unit recovered N252,173,201.25 from duty payments and demand notices from goods that tried to outsmart customs officers at the seaports, airports and land borders station.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policies banning the importation of Rice and Vehicles through the land borders are still in force,” Garba said.
“As we enter the ‘ember’ months when economic activities strive to boom, let me use this opportunity to send this warning message to smugglers in the South West to desist from such illegal trade as we are well equipped with all necessary arsenal to cripple smugglers and send them out of their illegitimate businesses.”
Garba encouraged traders who engage in legal trade not to fear while carrying out their business provided they make honest declarations.
“We will continue to work towards ensuring compliance with all extant laws governing imports and exports in Nigeria.”
He commended Ali and the management team for providing incentives and logistics that brought the record feat.
The seizures included 147 sacks of 10kg each and 120 parcels of 1kg each of Indian hemp have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
NDLEA Lagos Principal Staff Officer, Lawal Opeloyeru, who received the parcels of Indian hemp, commended the Customs for preventing the drugs from going into circulation.
“There is a nexus between hard drugs and crime. The Customs have saved the Nigerian society from crime through this seizure. We promise to harp on this collaboration to enjoy a drug free society,” Opeloyeru said.
Seizures in Zone C
Conducting reporters round the unit’s warehouse in Benin, the Controller FOU Zone ‘C’ Owerri, Amajam Bukar, said anti-smuggling operations in the zone recorded seizures of over 8,295 used tyres worth N66,360,000 in duty paid value.
He said most of the used tyres were concealed in various means of conveyance to beat Customs checks, but operatives detected and intercept them.
Bukar stressed that used tyres put motorists in grave danger and the unit in carrying out its functions will continue to ensure that irresponsible traders bent on putting lives at risk will not succeed.
The seizures also include
- Eighteen items worth duty paid value of N141,229,000 and recovery of underpayment to the tune of N24,575,796.
- Cartons of vegetable oil, used tyres, and bags of rice.
- A luxury bus with 69 bags of rice and 40 bales of second hand clothing.
- Sino truck laden with 460 bags of rice with duty paid value of N11,776,000.
- A Toyota Previa car with 59 bags of rice with duty paid value of N944,000.
- A 1×20 foot container conveying used motor parts with cartons of foreign soap concealed inside, which is prohibited for trade.
- Three exotic cars, a Bently GT Coupe 2014 model with duty paid value of over N56 million.
- Mercedes Benz GLK 2011 model with duty paid value of N9,235,963 and another Mercedes Benz GLK 2008 model with duty paid value of N7,715,838.
Bukar disclosed that preliminary investigation showed that the three cars do not have evidence of duty payments.
According to him, the nature of the cars shows they were bought by rich people, and he appealed to wealthy Nigerians to pay appropriate duties and taxes on their goods.
He said import prohibitions have been put in place to protect local manufacturing industries and urged the populace to gain information and knowledge before importation.
Positive impact of information
He urged Nigerians to forward any useful information to the NCS to enable them guard against the activities of smugglers and protect the socio-economic wellbeing.
Bukar commended Nigerians that have volunteered information that yielded positive results, saying such information have increased the success rate of the command in anti-smuggling operations.
He said the resolve of the NSC to bring smuggling to its barest minimum, explaining that the removal of illegal checkpoints does not hamper operations.
He warned that even though smugglers are trying to capitalise on the removal of road blocks they have not succeeded because information patrol teams are nibbling their activities in the bud.
Gallant Yabo and Shaba
A statement issued by NCS Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, prayed for the eternal rest of Yabo and Shaba who he described as gallant in their days of service and fighting smuggling.
“While investigation is on-going to ascertain the motive behind the killing and carting away of one (1) AK 47 riffle with its magazine loaded with ammunition, helmet, bullet proof vest and Service shoes, the NCS management during its meeting … expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the loss of two officers known for their dedication to the course of fighting smugglers,” the statement said.
Ali bemoaned the fallen colleagues praying Allah to grant them eternal rest.
“While condoling the families of the deceased officers, he expressed the resolve of the Service to do all that is possible to bring the killers to justice.
NCS Management laments the inclination of smugglers and other criminal elements who are quick to inflict violence on anti-smuggling operatives who are carrying out their statutory functions,” the statement added.
“While lamenting the relative public silence that followed the heinous killing of the two officers, the NCS wishes to warn that henceforth, anti-smuggling operatives will not hesitate to use appropriate force to defend themselves while enforcing the extant laws governing Imports and Exports in Nigeria.
“Customs officers and indeed all security operatives are Nigerians whose lives are valuable to their families and the nation at large.”
The meeting resolved to appropriately reward the officers posthumously and to see the great loss as a push to go even harder on smugglers.
