The Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) enforcement arm, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A Ikeja chased smugglers terrorizing the South West zone into burrows in 2022, writes Innocent Chukwu
In spite of the loss of four of its gallant officers in the year 2022, the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, Lagos was never deterred in suppressing smuggling activities in the entire South west zone of the federation.
This revelation came early January when the FOU Zone A led by Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, addressed the media to take stock of the enforcement command’s performances last year.
The Command revealed that as part of its anti-smuggling activities in 2022, a total number of 108 automobiles comprising of trucks, tankers, cars and motorcycles were seized either as smuggled items or means of conveyance of smuggled items.
The acting Controller of FOU, Zone A, Ejibunu stated this on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos. He said that four officers of the unit lost their lives in active service while confronting smugglers last year.
The activities of customs FOU Zone A cover six states of the South-West including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
According to Ejibunu, the unit between January and December 2022 also made a total seizure of smuggled items worth Duty Paid Value of N13,908,575,436.5. Apart from these, the unit realized the sum of N878,344,486.96 as revenue for the government in 2022.
The items seized included;
foreign parboiled rice, vehicles, drugs, textiles, petroleum products and other items in the import and export prohibition lists.
In terms of volume, rice topped the list of the seizures.
“We seized 93,102 X 50kg which amounts to about 156 trailer loads of rice. Even our newly constructed warehouse had an overflow of seized rice.
Illicit drugs seized within the year under review are; 2,354 kg and 4,976 tablets of Cannabis sativa, 233 cartons X 225 milligrams, and 82 packs X 225 milligrams of Tramadol. It is pertinent to remind us that these hard drugs fuel crime and insecurity.
“For petroleum products, this Unit seized 656,414 liters of premium motor spirit (PMS), that is, about 20 tanker loads of fuel from economic saboteurs who seek to impoverish the majority of our country people by taking out petrol subsidized for citizens’ benefit to be sold in other countries.
“We arrested 176 smuggling suspects last year, secured seven convictions, 14 were charged to court and are at various stages of investigation and prosecution, seven suspects are in detention; two suspects were handed over to NDLEA, and one suspect was handed over to the Nigerian Police respectively, while 151 are on administrative bail.
“On a sad note, four (4) of our officers namely, Late Inspectors of Customs TP Astor, and A Onwueguzie, and Assistant Inspectors of Customs, Musa, R and Bristol, E lost their lives in active service while confronting smugglers last year.
“While we frowned at such murderous acts, we also ensured that those behind some of the killings were arrested to face justice” Ejibunu stated.
The customs FOU boss appreciated the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (Rtd) and his management team for their unflinching support throughout last year and the previous years.
Speaking on his projections for year 2023, Ejibunu assured that the unit would sustain and increase the tempo of its anti-smuggling operations, ensuring zero compromise as usual, arresting perpetrators and seizing their wares.
He advised smugglers and their collaborators to seek legitimate means of livelihood in 2023 as the Unit will continually make life unbearable for them through interdictions, arrests, seizures and diligent prosecution.
