By Adedapo Adesanya
The Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has disclosed that it generated the sum of N4 895,772,769 as revenue in the month of January 2021.
This was disclosed by the NCS Area Comptroller, Mr Adamu Abdulkadir, at the service headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Mr Abdulkadir lauded the achievement, noting that it spoke well of his leadership at the command which he assumed head of last November and also pledged to work hard to tackle the activities of smugglers which he said was making the country lose its revenue.
He said the command would track, apprehend and prosecute those giving information to smugglers on the movement and activities of officers of the command, thereby making their job difficult.
“For those of you who are on the side of the smugglers, revealing our movement and actions to them, we would track, apprehend and prosecute you in accordance with section 77 of the Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA) for signalling to smugglers,” he said.
He stated that the area command under his management had further enhanced its anti-smuggling strategies by taking the battle to the doorstep of the smugglers rather than waiting for them.
“Section 147 and 151 of the Customs and Exercise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 LFN 2004 empower us to search premises for un-customs goods and to give rewards to informants who give us genuine intelligence to improve our capabilities on anti-smuggling duties.
“We shall further sharpen our intelligence and enforcement capabilities to fight to smuggle and enforce compliance with reference to extant laws guiding our procedures and rules of engagement.
“With the expertise, meticulousness and sense of observation of the officers, the command was able to collect N4, 895,772,769 for the month of January,” Mr Abdulkadir added.
The comptroller further said the command had between November 2020 and January made a series of detention and seizures with Duty Paid Valued (DPV) at N393,420,494.
“Within the period under review, the command made seizures of 220 kegs of 25 litres each of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and will auction them and proceeds remitted accordingly,” he said.
The comptroller listed other seizures to include; 3,052 bags of foreign rice, eight kegs of 25 litres each of Vegetable oil, 60 bales of second-hand clothes, 246 pieces of used tyres, nine cars and 10 motorcycles.
He said two suspects were arrested during the period under review and they had been granted administrative bail pending the determination of their cases.
The comptroller commended the effort of the officers, other security agencies, traditional rulers and the people of Oyo and Osun States for their support and cooperation.
