The Kebbi State Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service has seized a consignment of goods, comprising 212 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, with an estimated value exceeding N126 million.
According to the Customs Area Comptroller, Iheanacho Ojike, the seized items also comprised 10,025 liters of petrol valued at more than N2 million.
Iheanacho said, “Barely two months since I took over, the command has intensified the fight against smuggling to curb its menace by engaging in intense patrols throughout the nooks and crannies of Kebbi. We make use of intelligence to enhance our operations, and we also engage in sensitising the host communities to the dangers of smuggling.”
He emphasized that smuggling adversely impacts both the economy and the welfare of citizens. Furthermore, he noted that efforts to tackle the issue resulted in the confiscation of the items.
He said the items also included “28 bags weighing 25kg each, 200 bales of second-hand clothing (jumbo size) and 50 bales of normal size and 10,025 litres of premium motor spirit”.
Others were “39 lumps of Indian hemp (cannabis sativa), 78 rolls of Diclofenac Sodium, 300 wraps of diazepam tablets 5mg each, 57 packs of sex enhancement drug (black diamond), 150 expired powdered milk, 50 pieces of used tyres and 20 pieces of rims, 20 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 20 bags of foreign sugar and 10 jerry cans of vegetable oils”.
“The combined duty paid value of the seized items is N126,278,959.60. The PMS value is not included in the DPV because it is given in our revenue generation section as receipts from auction sales. This remarkable achievement was a result of the resilience and courageous effort of our Operations teams, Intelligence Unit, Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) and collaboration with sister agencies,” he said.
Ojike mentioned that the Indian hemp would be transferred to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Discussing revenue generation within the command, the comptroller explained that it had been hindered lately because of the closure of borders between Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Niger Republic.
“Even with this challenge, the command managed to generate N7,215,500 in the two months under review, which is a 125 per cent increase compared to the two previous months,” he added.