Customs Seizes Contraband Items worth N28m in Two Months

Hammed Shittu

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) of the joint border patrol team, sector 3, in-charge North-central zone of the country seized 35 prohibited and smuggled goods worth over N28 million between April and May this year.

The coordinator of the sector, Comptroller Oougboyega Peters made the disclosure in Ilorin, on Wednesday while speaking with journalists on the activities of the sector in the past two months.
Peters said the achievement recorded was due to the commitment and loyalty of the men of the sector and other security agencies in the zone.

According to him, “some of the seized items included 637 bags of foreign rice, 795kegs of 25 liters of petrol, 15 units of Nigerian used tyres, 14 cartons of condensed milk, 14 tins of tomatoes paste and three bags of sugar.”

Peters said, “It is also important to note that the successes recorded in our operations in this sector can be attributed to the good motivation from the NCS management, office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other sister agencies which has boosted the morale of officers and had kept them in high spirit at all times.”

He added, “Despite the series of attacks by dare devil smugglers/hoodlums during our course of duty, the sector will not be distracted from executing her mandate.

“To this end, anyone caught disrupting our officers in the line of duty or perpetuating nefarious activities of smuggling, etc shall be made to face the wrath of the law.”

He expressed unalloyed gratitude to other security agencies, community leaders, and youth leaders who are showing concern and are collaborating with the team in the fight against smuggling and human trafficking.

“The sector will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitise and educate the public, especially the people along the border axis on socio-economic implication of smuggling as well as performance of its statutory function of enforcing partial border closure in line with federal government fiscal policies.”

Peters also said the sector would not relent in its efforts at curtailing activities of smugglers so as to boost economic recovery in the country.