The Sector 4 Command of the Joint Border Patrol Team of the Nigerian Customs on Friday, initiated the public auction of 3,522 cartons of matches with a Duty Paid Value of N17.6, primarily targeting small-scale traders in Katsina State.
Each of the cartons is being sold at 5,000 Naira, which is less than half of the usual market price of about 13,000 Naira, in a bid to alleviate the current economic challenges facing citizens.
The foreign-made matches were confiscated while loaded on a truck with registration CO-436-KT along the Kano Expressway, based on credible intelligence since January 2, 2024.
While the Sector 4 Command of the Joint Border Patrol Team continues to investigate how the vehicle was contracted by the owner of the matches, Unit Coordinator Comptroller Kola Oladeji informed reporters at a press briefing held at the Command’s Northwest Headquarters in Katsina that the auctioning exercise was approved and directed by the management of the Nigerian Customs Service, under the leadership of Customs Comptroller General Bashir Adeniyi.
He expressed appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Customs Service for providing the unit with all the necessary support to carry out its duties effectively.
Adeniyi revealed that two additional brand-new Hilux vehicles were allocated to the unit by the management last week, assuring that they would not falter in fulfilling their assigned responsibilities.
“The management under the leadership of the CGC was so magnanimous and said these items should be sold to members of the general public as part of palliatives to solve the ongoing hardship, we are selling them below half.
“You can see by yourselves, the number of residents mostly petty traders who are rushing to buy. The importance of this gesture cannot be overstated. At the end of this exercise, the money generated by the accountant of the Command from the auctioning will be deposited and paid into the Federation Account”, Oladeji noted.