The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja has disclosed that in the month of September alone, it intercepted various prohibited items with a duty paid value (DPV) of N101,546,650.00.
Similarly, the Unit through its interventions recovered N30,154,174.75 from vehicles and other goods that tried to beat the system from the seaports and border stations in the guise of false declaration, undervaluation and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of N131,7008,24.75 in the Month of September 2016.
A statement issued by Mr. Jerome Attah, Public Relations Officer of the Command said “In the month of September 2016 alone, about 98 different seizures were recorded comprising vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, fairly used vehicles popularly known as tokunbo, plus other various general merchandise.
The breakdowns shows that about 2,513 bags of foreign parboiled rice valued at about N16.4m, frozen poultry products in 3,778 cartons valued at about N20.4m and vegetable oil in 528 Jerricans valued at about N4.7m were recorded.
The command also seized assorted seven units of vehicles valued at about N14.3m, General merchandise including new and used textiles material, shoes, bags, used tyres , Mosquito insecticide, soaps, compressors, Bonita Spaghetti amongst others put at N45,789,450.00. These brought the total value of seizures to N101,546,650 and total Revenue intervention to N30,154,174.75 and N131,7008,24.75
While commending the displayed sheer courage, patriotism and intelligence in a well coordinated action by the Operatives of FOU ‘A’ that eventually led to these remarkable seizures and intervention in the month of September 2016, the Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Comptroller Umar Mohammed Dahiru Said that the Unit has what it takes in delivering one of the Service statutory functions of suppression of smuggling within his areas of jurisdiction in the South West zones. In order to keep this feat, the Controller has further tasked all field operatives of Federal Operations Unit to intensify their border patrols in order to bring smugglers to book.
He warned those dare devil smugglers who see ‘ember’ months as a peak period for their nefarious acts to desist from such illegal business as the Unit has deployed other tactical strategies that will make them run for their monies and count their loses. He added that 14 suspects were also apprehended and will be charged to court for prosecution after thorough investigation.
