• Generates N124.8m revenue
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized contraband worth over N79.3 million from suspected smugglers as part of its ongoing onslaught against smuggling in the state.
The command’s Area Comptroller, Dalha Wada Chedi, made this known Wednesday while addressing journalists on the achievements of the command between August 15 and September 28 in Katsina, the state capital.
He said the seizures included 650 bags (50kg and 25kg) of foreign rice, 300 bags of foreign flour, 100 pieces of used vehicles tyres, 491 kegs of premium motor spirit (PMS), 96 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 95 cartons of foreign macaroni and 70 cartons of foreign couscous.
Other seizures, according to him, were 75 bags of foreign fertilizer (50kg each), 21 bags (100kg) of tiger nuts, 96 cartons of foreign milky creamer, 50 bales and 30 sacks of second hand clothing, 46 rolls polythene sheet and eight jerricans of vegetable oil, among others.
The NCS Area Comptroller explained that 15 units of different brands of vehicles, including means of conveyance, valued at N35,945,000 million were also seized by operatives of the command within the period under review.
On revenue collection, Chedi said the command collected the sum of N124,896,718.27 with an increase of N25,119,375.27 due to what he described as strategic resolutions conducted by security agencies along the Jibia-Katsina corridor within the period under review.
According to him, “Under the export, due to the same strategy, the tonnage of this particular period is 20,263.99 tonnes as against the last record of 10,827.40.
“The last press briefing, we had 21 seizures of both vehicles and items but this time around, we have 29 seizures with a total duty paid value of N79,303,663.00 as against the last record of N73 million.”
He noted that the increment of both export and import revenue collection was due to revolving patrol strategies adopted by the men and officers of the command in collaboration with residents of border communities in the state.
He added that the command, in a renewed vigor to fight smuggling, had re-strategized its operations to block revenue leakages and curb the import and export of prohibited goods within its corridors of operations.
While warning the smugglers and their accomplices to desist from sabotaging the nation’s economy and embrace legitimate business, Chedi said the command under his watch was committed and determined to tame smuggling in the state.
