Comptroller-General of Customs, Inde  Dikko Abdullahi

By Francis Ugwoke

The  Nigeria Customs  Service (NCS) has announced  306  seizures of  various  vehicles and general goods  with  Duty Paid Value  (DPV) of N129million.

The items   were seized between  February 27 and March following the declaration of  war against smugglers by the      Federal Operations Unit (FOU)  of the Customs in Lagos.

Comptroller of the  FOU, Mr Dan Ugo,  told newsmen  that the seizure accounted for over 40 percent increase when compared  with the record for the corresponding period  last year.

Ugo also  disclosed that  the Command  recorded a total of 51 suspects with various cases in the Federal High Court.

Noting that the seizures  of the items which included used tyres, bags of rice , textile materials, among others, were  not without some operational hazards, he however expressed the determination of the  Customs  to put smugglers out of business.

“We have had altercations with miscreants and smugglers in the course of doing our job. I want to assure you that we will remain focused and undeterred in the case of any hostility. We are determined more than ever to suppress smuggling  to its barest minimum”, he said.

The Controller  said that what has empowered the  Command,    officers and men was the full support being enjoyed from the Comptroller-General of Customs,  Alhaji Inde Dikko Abdullahi.

“Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the efforts of our indefatigable CGC, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde Dikko   (CFR)     for  providing the enabling  environment for operational efficiency through the provision of functional patrol vehicles, staff, motivation/remunerations, training and retraining of officers, tools and logistics to boost our efforts”, he said.

Ugo who resumed duty at the FOU about a month ago said  that he has concentrated  on pursuing   the mandate given to him with all seriousness it deserves.

“I have taken cognizance of the six point agenda of the CGC as well as the Federal Governments transformation programme as the basis of our operations”, he said.

He warned Nigerian business men who chose to disobey trade laws by smuggling products into the country  to  change or face the wrath of the law.
He said that the Command has carried out mass sensitization of the citizenry on the dangers of smuggling and its effect on the nation’s economic fabric, adding that  the seizures and revenue  recorded by the command was  as a result of the   campaign against smuggling.