The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos in the months of January and February 2017 has relied on its anti-smuggling operations intercepted various contrabands and other goods on detention with a duty paid value (DPV) of N713,838,950.00.
The unit also, through its interventions recovered N650,314,436.90 from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from seaports, airport and border stations in the guise of false declaration, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of N1,364,153,386.90.
While commending the Officers and Men of the Unit for living up to their statutory responsibilities in suppression of smuggling, blocking all revenue leakages and enhancing trade facilitation towards sustaining best international standards, the Controller, Federal Operations Unit ‘A’, Comptroller Haruna Mamudu thanked the Comptroller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) for his effort in recognizing hard work and diligence to duty without any compromise.
In the months under review, 197 different seizures were recorded comprising foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, arms, fake pharmaceutical/medicaments and various general merchandises.
Notably, 23000 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice with a duty paid value of N149,500,000.00 is still under seal in an unnamed warehouse in Lagos awaiting relevant importation document for further necessary action.
Also, Demand Notices of over N100million has been issued to two auto dealers/assemblers under customs seal awaiting payment for infractions on their import transactions, while some are still undergoing court trials. Over 16x40ft containers under detention are on thorough investigation and appropriate DN would be raised and seizures effected where applicable
In a statement signed by Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jerry Attah, he quoted Mamudu as saying that “The unit evacuated 1,870 Bags of Smuggled Foreign Parboiled rice and 43 Jerrycans of Vegetable oil from the front of an unnamed warehouse in Sango Ota Motor park in Ogun State by our field operatives based on information, monitoring and trailing of some dare devil smugglers’ activities through unapproved routes using Commercial Motorcycles popularly known as ‘Okada’ and Smaller Vehicles ferrying on a very high speed and other concealment methods in carrying out their nefarious acts”.
The statement revealed that the Unit’s action is in conformity with the law of the Federation of Nigeria as enshrined in sections 147, 148, and 158 of the Customs Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 LFN 2004.
