NCS Zone ‘D’ seizes foreign rice, spaghetti, PMS, donkey skins valued at N126m
By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘D’, have seized contraband worth N126 million from January to June, 2022.
NATIONAL ACCORD reports that Zone ‘D’ comprises of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa States.
The Comptroller, FOU, Adesanmi Omiye, who disclosed this at a press conference, held on Thursday at the Zonal headquarters in Bauchi, said that the seizures were made because of the commitment and determination of operatives of the zone.
Omiye said some of the items seized within the zone under the period under review include 605 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, seven used vehicles which were used as means of conveyance of the contraband, 54 bales of secondhand clothes and 215 cartons of foreign soap.
He added that 3,000 liters of petroleum products (engine oil), 500 liters of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), foreign spaghetti, dried donkey skins and Urea fertilizer were also seized.
He said: “I welcome you to this briefing of the recent anti-smuggling activities to showcase our operational monumental achievements in the Zone. I am glad to inform you that the unit’s concerted efforts in suppression of smuggling activities have continued to yield good result despite the insurgency in some parts of the zone, the operatives of the Unit apart from blocking and suppressing smuggling within the Zone have made the following seizures:
“Six hundred and five (605) bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, seven (7) used vehicles (means of conveyance), fifty-four (54) bales of second hand clothes, Two hundred and fifteen (215) cartons of foreign soap and Forty two =42-cartons of foreign Spaghetti.
“Others are: One hundred and two (102) pieces of dried Donkey skin, Sixty-nine (69) sacks of foreign used shoe, One hundred and fifty (150) Jerry cans of petroleum product – 20 litres each (engine oil) and twenty (20) Jerry cans of PMS – 25 liters each and Fifty (50) cartons of Ringer Lactates (Drugs).
“The Cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of all the seizures amounts to One Hundred and Twenty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand, One Hundred Thirty One Naira, Twenty Five Kabo (N126,560,131.25K).”
He said that the action of the Nigeria Customs operatives are in line with the provision of section 8 and 158 (power to patrol freely) and of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 Laws of the Federation Republic of Nigeria 2004 as amended.
The Zonal Comptroller said that the three suspects arrested within the period in connection with the seizures were released on bail, explaining that the focus of the Service is to stop the entrance of such prohibited items from being taken into the market.
“These unprecedented seizures were achieved as a result of sharing of information, intelligence gathering and doggedness of the officers/Men of the federal Operations Unit Zone D in making the zone unbearable for smugglers.
“Let me use this medium to plead with well-meaning Nigerians to assist in providing genuine information that that could aid in eradicating the menace of smuggling in the zone and the country at large.
“They have to know that eradicating smuggling in this country will boost the economy which will make the Federal Government to provide social amenities to the citizenry,” he stated.
Omiye warned smugglers to repent from their nefarious activities vowing that the Nigeria Customs Service will not relent in its efforts at ridding the zone of smugglers.