By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have reiterated plans to tackle corruption and the rising tide of smuggling in the country.
The Area Comptroller, NCS, Kwara Command, Mr Kehinde Ilesanmi, said this during a courtesy call on the Ilorin Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr Michael Nzekwe, according to a statement issued by Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesperson.
Mr Ilesanmi highlighted some of the functions of the services to include revenue collection, facilitation of trade and suppression of smuggling.
He said upon resumption, the Kwara border was under lock owing to its porous environment, while the borders at Idiroko, Katsina and Kebbi had been reopened.
The comptroller said that upon resumption of duty, he took up the task of going after perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice.
He disclosed that over N3.5 billion had been realised as revenue for the government by the command while also making 23 seizures, with the duty value of each seizure worth more than N30 million.
“This visit is basically to strengthen the existing ties between the NCS and EFCC in ensuring that both agencies deliver on its mandate.
“I commend the efforts of the command, especially its bold step in checking the activities of illegal miners in the state as well as combating the rising tide of cybercrime among the youths.”
Responding, Mr Nzekwe appreciated the visit while hoping that stronger inter-agency collaboration and support between the two agencies would be entrenched.
“We are delighted to have a worthy partner like the NCS to cooperate with us in the fight against corruption. Together, we shall make Nigeria better,” he said.
The EFCC boss commended Ilesanmi for the visible improvement in revenue collection by his officers, noting that the cooperation between the two agencies had, in no small measure, helped in checking corruption and smuggling of counterfeit financial instruments.
He said that the illegal mining activities and non-payment of royalties by unlicensed operators, which pervaded the state, had dropped through the intervention of the EFCC.
“The mineral resources in Kwara, if properly harnessed, were enough to turn the state into ‘small London’.
“In synergy, we are sending strong signals to corrupt elements and all economic saboteurs that they now face a more difficult task to evade payment of customs duty or royalties or smuggling of prohibited goods through our borders,” Mr Nzekwe said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka