By Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina/Kaduna operational unit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted various contraband with a duty paid value (DPV) of N32,761,944 between August and September 2018.
This is even as the command said it generated the sum of N852,064,139.41in August 2018, as against its monthly revenue target of N342,040,070.47.
The Area Comptroller in charge of Katsina/Kaduna command, Oyeleke Olakunle Abdulrazak, while displaying the seizures before newsmen in Katsina, said the they were banned items which ought not to have been imported into the country since the federal government has placed a ban on them.
He said: “The seized items include 606 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 239 bags of 50kg imported sugar, 73 bales of second hand clothing, 327 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 25 motor vehicles of various kind, one truck and two motorcycles.
“This was achieved in tandem with efforts of the command’s intelligence unit. The public is hereby called upon to approach Customs formations anywhere for enquiries as regards Customs procedures on how to go about doing legitimate business.”
He reiterated that the seizures were based on credible intelligence gathering by officers of the Service on patrol between August and September this year.
Abdularazak added: “There was no reason why the contraband clothes should be brought into the country because of the health implications,” warning smugglers to desist from their acts or they will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
While calling on traditional rulers, clerics and parents to caution their members and children against the evils of smuggling, the comptroller solicited their cooperation to enable the service to discharge its duty effectively in the state.
