The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko has disclosed it’s strides leading to seizures of contrabands with duty paid value to the tune of N770,666,237 between April and June 2024.
The Comptroller of the Command, James Ojo, disclosed this on Monday at a briefing held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
According to him, the Command had also generated N92,369,227 as revenue within the three months with about a 52.46% increase when compared to the N53,983,622.00 recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.
He added that the agency had also surpassed the monthly revenue target of N34,122,666.90 in June 2024 by 77.86%.
Ojo said that the contrabands that were successfully intercepted during the period under review included 219 sacks and 1,725 parcels of cannabis sativa, 940 rounds of live ammunition, 44,466 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,227 pieces of pneumatic foreign-used tyres, and 64 bales and 222 sacks of used clothes.
Other interceptions include 2,947 cartons of frozen poultry products, 7,015 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 21 units of vehicles, 3 units of motorcycles, and 115 pairs of used shoes.
The comptroller also said the seizures made within the period were not mere numbers but represented the agency’s relentless fight against smuggling and determination to protect the local economy with a view to ensuring public health and safety and upholding the integrity of the nation’s borders.
“Through our concerted efforts and strategic operations, the Ogun I Area Command has generated an impressive revenue of N92,369,227.00 for the second quarter of 2024,” Ojo said.
“Interestingly, this revenue represents about a 52.46% increase compared to the N53,983,622.00 recorded in the corresponding period of 2023. In addition, the Command surpassed the monthly revenue target of N34,122,666.90 in June 2024 by 77.86%,” he added.
“In recent operations, we successfully intercepted 219 sacks and 1,725 parcels of cannabis sativa, 940 rounds of live ammunition, 44,466 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,227 pieces of pneumatic foreign-used tyres, and 64 bales and 222 sacks of used clothes.
“Other interceptions include 2,947 cartons of frozen poultry products, 7,015 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 21 units of vehicles, 3 units of motorcycles, and 115 pairs of used shoes with a Duty Paid Value of N770,666,237.00.”
Ojo further explained that the contrabands seized had catastrophic effects on the people, adding that the damage done to the economy had been put into consideration.
He said that cannabis sativa commonly known as marijuana or Indian hemp, was a psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant with a devastating effect on the lives of its consumers, especially the youths.
He explained that the rise in its abuse posed a lot of worries within the Nigerian society and a threat to national security, due to its potential influence on criminal activities, such as armed robbery, banditry, cultism, kidnapping, terrorism, and other criminal activities.
He said the use of pneumatic foreign-used tyres popularly called “Tokunbo” poses a significant risk to motorists and puts their lives in jeopardy because these are tyres that have expired and could therefore burst and cause accidents at any time.
Ojo attributed the achievements of the command in the last three months to the diligence, commitment, and professionalism of his officers and men who are working tirelessly and deploying effective intelligence in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi to crush all forms of economic sabotaging efforts.
He also said that the support and cooperation of the traditional rulers and other security agencies in the state had made it easier to wage a very successful anti-smuggling campaign in the state.
Ojo sought the support of the media and all the stakeholders to maintain the integrity of the nation’s borders and for credible performances by the command.
