Service, Directorate of State Security (DSS) and National Agency for Food Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday witnessed as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Seme Command destroyed smuggled poultry products with duty paid value of N13.5 million.
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| The seized poultry products being destroyed |
addition to bags of expired flour and used textile intercepted while being
smuggled into the country from Benin Republic during the weekend of 24th
January 2015.
said, “We first poured caustic soda on the products before burial, to hasten
decomposition and deter scavengers from digging them up for sale or consumption.”
warehouse, recent seizures of sugar, paints, rice and other trade goods whose
values were yet to be ascertained.
the Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) Ndalati Mohammed that all Patrol Units
should intensify and widen the scope of anti-smuggling activities to bring
deviants to order.
The Controller
also addressed field officers at various operational posts, especially at Gbaji
and Owode where he declared that the fight against smuggling and other trans-border
crimes must be total.
officers and men to translate the change process brought about by the capacity
building effort of the Comptroller – General of Nigeria Customs Service (CGC)
to manifest actions of politeness, decency and pursuance of the Service
objectives.
”We are all
expected to justify the confidence the Comptroller General of Customs and his
Management team reposed on us by putting our best in the interest of Nigeria.
recorded. I believe we can do more. We should double and redouble our revenue
collection drive.
persistent arrests and seizures of their wares,” he charged the officers.
Meanwhile, the command
collected a total of N9, 680,465,372.88 as revenue for the year 2014, which
represents 9.12% increase over the N8, 482,231,829.91 revenue collected in the
corresponding period in 2013.
In 2014 also, the
Command made 686 seizures of various goods and vehicles with a duty paid value
of N294, 326,677.00; arrested and arraigned a total of 18 suspects during the
year 2014.
The items
impounded included motor vehicles, rice, frozen poultry products, petroleum
products, shoes etc, accomplishing a feat which analysts said had direct
bearings to the command’s anti-smuggling sensitization exercise at the
grassroots.
Meanwhile, the
CAC has boosted his grassroots contacts by visiting and urging traditional rulers, chiefs
and members of the border community to cooperate with the Customs in the fight
against smuggling and other related vices as he noted that security issues,
safety and general peace was everybody’s business.
At the palaces of
the Alapa of Apa Kingdom, Oba Oyekan Ilufemiloye Poosi and Aholu of Kweme
Kingdom,Oba Sejiro Olalekan James, the
CAC thanked the monarchs for their past
support to the Service and urged them to sustain it during his time.
He asked that the
monarchs should see him as their own son, saying that, “As your son, I have
come to see my fathers at home to solicit fatherly blessings and support.
Considering the way I was received in the palace, I really feel at home and
this gives me further assurances of your support to the Customs.”
The monarchs,
while promising to fully identify with the Customs Service in its duties of
suppression of smuggling, collection of revenue for government and facilitating
legitimate trade, also told the Controller that their palaces were opened to
him and his officers any time of the day.
Oba Oyekan was
indicated to have expressed satisfaction with the rapport his palace had
enjoyed with the command while Oba Sejiro who described his domain as being
blessed to host Seme Border Command remarkably, gave similar assurances.
