By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Murtala Mohammed Airport Cargo Command recorded a 17.6 per cent or N5.163 billion growth in revenue generation in the first six months of 2022.
The MMA Customs said it raked in N34.758 billion in the period under review compared with the N29.595 billion it generated in the same period of last year.
The Customs Area Controller, Mr Sambo Dangaladima, disclosed these figures while showcasing 16 sacks of donkey male genitals seized by the Command with a duty paid value of N216.2 million.
The command intercepted the seven thousand pieces of donkey male genitals meant for exportation to Hong Kong.
“Upon interception of the 7,000 donkey male genitals, the importers falsely declared these illegal wildlife parts as cow male genitals, after due examination, my export officers discovered they were donkey male genitals. It’s the first time we are seizing this type of item, we will not allow such illegal wildlife trade to thrive under our watch,” Mr Dangaladima declared.
The male genitals were handed over to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service represented by Deputy Superintendent, Mrs Adebimpe Adetunji.
Subsequently, the Command handed over 912 packs of 39,941 tablets of fake pharmaceutical products (without NAFDAC registration number) imported from Pakistan to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control represented by the Operations Officer SAHCOL, Mr Hassan Yusuf.
“I would like to appreciate the Nigeria Customs Service for these great interceptions they have been doing, we need a lot of synergies to eradicate illegal importation of fake pharmaceuticals. The inscriptions on the drugs are in the Arabic language, “how will a common man know this” he asked.
Mr Dangaladima beaconed on Importers to dwell on the acceptable milligrams of Tramadol allowed for importation as he also handed over 1,158 packs of 115,800 tablets of Tramadol to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“The required milligram is 100 and it must be properly documented. 225 is not allowed, we want everyone to follow and key into the system by doing the right thing, we have no other country but Nigeria,” he stated.
The Operation Officer NDLEA in charge of SAHCOL shed, Mr Aminu Sankefi, thanked the agency for the continuous synergy in the fight against illicit substances, reiterating that “the comptroller is up and doing, there is adequate communication between us, based on intelligence gathering.”
