Lagos Airport fetches N1.95b revenue in a single month
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
About N1.95 billion revenue was generated by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos in November.
MMIA Customs Area Controller Malami Gidado, a Comptroller, disclosed the windfall more than triples the N350.5 million generated in October.
He said N7.018 billion was collected in 100 days in 2022 against N6.7 billion in 100 days in 2021, underscoring a steady record of greater successes in the mandate of the border control agency at the airport since he took over a few months ago.
The NCS mandate includes interception of contraband and examination of travellers and their baggage, cargo, and mail, as well as assessment and collection of customs duty and other statutory taxes on goods and services.
_______________________________________________________________
Related articles:
Customs intercepts 358 bags of rice concealed in fuel tanker
Customs arrests suspects over N622m ammunition, other contraband
Customs impounds 3,851kg cannabis worth N308m
__________________________________________________________________
Collaboration between border control agencies
The mandate also includes protecting businesses against illegal trade malpractices, backed by laws such as Sections 150 and 161 of the Customs and Excise Management Act CAP C45 Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 (CEMA CAP C45 LFN 2004) for the smooth running of the command.
Gidado stressed the need for sister border control agencies at the Lagos Airport to collaborate with the Customs to block all revenue leakages, per Nairametrics.
He gave an assurance of a good travel experience and friendlier clearance procedure of shipment for all voluntary compliance persons.
He said there was a positive difference in the integrity of passengers’ declaration of goods in November.
Customs fires 2,000 officers in 7 years over corruption
Up to 2,000 officers have been fired from the NCS and prosecuted since 2015 for engaging in corruption and other illegal activities, according to NCS Controller General Hameed Ali.
Ali warned the public to be wary of rogue Customs officers and avoid being scammed.
The fight by the Customs against smuggling has evolved, he stressed, necessitating the procurement of additional aircraft to intercept smuggling across the borders in collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force.
Ali also warned that imported rice is not fit for consumption and dangerous to human health because it is preserved with chemicals that have a short lifespan.
This is why Customs officers regularly seize such items from the market to safeguard the health of Nigerians, he explained.
He added the seized bags of rice are distributed to internally displaced person (IDP) camps and the needy after certification by the National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).