By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has foiled the illegal export of charcoal.
The item, according to the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Hammi Swomen, was packed in a 24×40ft container of charcoal with a duty paid value running into millions of Naira.
Addressing journalists in Lagos, the Customs KLT Command said other items were also seized by his men between January 2021 and November 2021.
“During the period under review, the Command has also made seizures of 3×40ft container of vegetable oil, 1×40ft container of used tyres, 1×40ft container of expired bottled water and recently intercepted 24×40ft container of charcoal. The Duty Paid Value of the seized items stood at N218.7 million.
“The properly packaged charcoals in bags were destined for export without any proper documentation, nor regulatory approval, right now an investigation is ongoing and the result of the investigation will be made known to the public,” he informed newsmen.
Mr Swomen also disclosed that the command recorded a 65.6 per cent increase in revenue generation in the first 11 months of this year, surpassing the N19.7 billion it generated within the same period last year.
He said despite logistics constraints of access and exit, worsened by deplorable road network, the Command has collected N32 billion as revenue within the period under consideration.
“For the first time in the history of this Command, we collected a record of N4.3 billion for the month of July 2021, more than 200 per cent increase in revenue compared to July 2020 when it generated N1.6 billion,” the customs officer said.
Adedapo Adesanya