The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Command, recorded impressive achievements in revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations in February, amassing N2 billion in revenue.
The Customs Area Controllerof the command, Joseph Adelaja, made this known in a statement on Monday.
Adelaja further disclosed that within the same period, the command generated N165 million from its anti-smuggling operations, reflecting the effectiveness of its enforcement strategies.
“Within the 22 days of my assumption of duty, significant milestones were recorded both in the area of revenue generation and anti-smuggling activities. The sum of N2bn was generated as revenue in February,” he stated.
In addition to revenue collection, the command carried out notable seizures within 17 days, intercepting contraband worth N468 million.
Among the confiscated items were foreign parboiled rice and cannabis sativa.
“Within the last 17 days, the command recorded a significant seizure of foreign parboiled rice, cannabis sativa, used tyres, used clothes, used shoes, and used compressors with a duty-paid value of N468m,” Adelaja revealed.
He attributed these successes to effective intelligence gathering facilitated by the Customs Intelligence Unit and the Customs Police Unit, alongside the cooperation of key stakeholders who have been instrumental in supporting the command’s operations.
Providing further details, he specified that among the seized goods were 2,030 bags of foreign rice worth N223 million and 28 bales of used clothing valued at N20 million.
“Others include one bale of used shoes, worth N420,000; 28 pieces of used refrigerator compressors worth N1.7m; eight used air-condition compressors valued at N252,000; 167 pieces of used tyres worth N16m; 167 litres of premium motor spirit worth N4.5m; and 660 kg of cannabis sativa valued at N21.7m. The duty-paid value of all the seized contrabands was N468m,” he stated.
He also revealed that the smuggled rice had been hidden inside three heavy-duty trucks, emphasizing the misuse of such vehicles for illicit activities.
“Unfortunately, these trucks were used to smuggle prohibited items,” he said.
Adelaja underscored the dangers of smuggling, noting that it not only hampers national economic growth but also endangers citizens.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to strengthening enforcement and ensuring compliance with customs regulations.
He issued a stern warning to smugglers, stating that the command would leave no stone unturned in enforcing necessary compliance measures against illegal trade.
Reiterating the command’s dedication to tackling smuggling and illicit trade, Adelaja stated, “As we would not relent on our efforts to curb these unlawful acts.”
He called on stakeholders and citizens to sustain their support and cooperation in the ongoing fight against smuggling and other illegal activities.
