The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja-Lagos has said that it has made seizures of prohibited goods valued N483,324,260.00 (Four hundred and eighty three million, three hundred and twenty four thousand, two hundred and sixty naira only) with a payable duty of N263,086,234.00 (two hundred and sixty three million, eighty six thousand, two hundred and thirty four naira only) with a DPV of N746,410,494.000 (seven hundred and forty six million, four hundred and ten thousand, four hundred and ninety four naira only) between the period of January to May,2014.
Speaking in a press release issued by the unit and signed by the Unit’s spokesman, Uche Ejesieme and made available to Daily Champion, the unit also said that it also apprehended 88 (eighty eight) suspects in connection with the seizures.
According to the release, the Controller Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Nuhu Isa Mahmoud, who was speaking in his office in Lagos recently, stated that the impressive performance was traceable to the resolve of the Unit to strengthen its operational apparatus through a well tailored strategic approach, which included the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as intelligence and information gathering.
Mahmoud stated that there was a paradigm shift in the operational tactics of the Unit which according to him was a change from analog approach to digital, in conformity with the global best practices and World Customs Organization (WCO)’s standards.
The Controller further attributed the success recorded by the Unit to the ever supportive gesture of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji (Dr.) Abdullahi Dikko Inde CFR and his management team.
He pointed out that the NCS management under the leadership of the CGC has provided the Unit with the wherewithal in terms of motivation/remuneration, capacity building and provision of operational tools like vehicles, arms/ammunition to support our effort.
Controller Mahmoud lauded the synergy and collaboration between the officers and men of the Unit, which he noted has led to monumental achievements recorded so far by the unit even as he pledged that the Unit would continue to live up to its rating as a flagship Unit and hub in anti-smuggling activities.
Speaking on the Seizure made by the unit in the said period, promised that the Unit would always remain several steps ahead of the antics of smugglers to ensure that their nefarious activities are decimated.
He listed some of the items seized by the Unit to include: bags of 50kg illegally imported parboiled rice, cartons of foreign frozen poultry products, used tyres and other general goods.
The Controller advised smugglers operating in the South-Western axis to have a re-think and channel their resources towards a more meaningful investment rather than smuggling, as he promised that the Unit would stop at nothing in its effort to rid the areas under his watch of smuggling activities.
The Customs boss however appreciated the media for their objectivity in reporting the activities of the Unit and called on them to continually sensitize the public on the dangers associated with smuggling.
“We call on well meaning Nigerians to oblige us with useful information about smugglers.Your identity will always be treated as confidential. As you know, the war on smuggling cannot be left for NCS alone, it ought to be a collective responsibility”, the release quoted.
