The Nigeria Customs Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in charge of South West Zone vows to crush all forms of smuggling and economic sabotage in the region during the 2024 Ember months
By Innocent Chukwu
While intensifying its anti-smuggling moves in the South West region, the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A, Lagos said it has arrested 14 suspects connected with different smuggling activities in the states under its watch. The Command said the suspects were arrested in the month of July 2024 as its operatives intensified renewed action against smuggling. But the FOU Zone A has vowed that it would crush all forms of smuggling activities in the 2024 Ember months in order to drastically reduce the scourge. Hence smugglers have been warned to steer clear of the region during the Ember months to avoid risking arrest.
This disclosure was made by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of the FOU Zone A, Comptroller Kola Oladeji on Friday August 30, 2024 during the showcasing of the unprecedented seizures recorded by the Command since July this year. Since he took over the leadership of the Command a few months ago, Comptroller Oladeji has remained steadfast in ensuring that the FOU Zone A sustained efforts at combating smuggling activities in the zone. The effort resulted in the huge seizures recorded which included exotic vehicles, animal skin, premium motor spirit, thousands of bags of foreign parboiled rice among numerous others.
Comptroller Oladeji said in the month of July the Command under his leadership recorded a total of 70 seizures which are higher than the 50 the command recorded in the same month in the year 2023, with a huge difference in their Duty Paid Values (DPV). He said what caused the increased seizures this year is the Command’s improvement in diligent collection of intelligence and the “You must not fire a single shot” policy he adopted to ensure that no casualties are recorded in the course of carrying out their operations.
In specific terms, the latest seizures include 6,168 pieces of donkey skin which weighed 29, 606kg, with a DPV of N6.7 billion, 37,630 sachets of tramadol of 250mg, 11,820 pieces of new machetes imported without the End-User Certificate with a DPV of N76.8 million. The CAC said it is the End-User Certificate that would prescribe the amount of duty that would be collected from the seized machetes.
Other seizures recorded by the FOU in both July and August included, 4,740 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each which is an equivalent of five trailers load of the commodity seized at Agbara, Gbaji, Seme, Ilaro and Idiroko axis, all within the South West region. There were also the seizures of 978kg of Cannabis Sativa popular as Indian Hemp, 1,145 cartons of poultry products, 15 units of imported vehicles, 257 bales of used clothes, new ladies shoes and bags as well as 11,700 litres of PMS.
All the seizures recorded in the month of July and August 2024 had a DPV of N8 billion with a difference of N7.6 billion bigger than the DPV of the corresponding period in 2023, representing 1,750 per cent.
The FOU Zone A also recorded revenue generation of N133. 6 million within the period under review. Speaking on the renewed efforts against smuggling by the Command under his leadership, Comptroller Oladeji warned that the Ember months would be the most dangerous period for smugglers as his command would be battle ready to confront all forms of smuggling activities in those months.
Comptroller Oladeji: “As we approach the last quarter of 2024 which is popularly known as the Ember months, our intelligence and the past behavioral patterns of smugglers indicate the possibility of more desperation to smuggle.
“Because of this we are taking more proactive measures by confronting them with increased vigour in line with the directive of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
“I can boldly say that smugglers’ desperation is being confronted with our resistance causing us to seize their wares and arrest the suspects. On this, we shall remain unrelenting and uncompromising.
“For emphasis, these acts of smuggling undermine our national security, economic development and social wellbeing of all citizens”.
