Ogun Customs Seize 43 Trailer Loads Of Foreign Rice, Automobiles Worth N3.4bn

The Ogun 1 Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) claimed that it had seized foreign goods worth a total of N3,400,226,707 in the first half of 2022.

At a press conference held in Abeokuta, the command reported that petrol recovered from traffickers had generated a combined N29,940,146.50 in import duties and auction proceeds.

The Ogun 1 Area Controller, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, told reporters that in the first half of the year, 25,906 bags of imported parboiled rice weighing 50 kg apiece, or 43 trailer loads, were confiscated.

He said the command, within six months impounded: 1,433 cartons of frozen poultry products; 72 units of used vehicles (foreign used & means of conveyance including Marcopolo bus); 20 units of used motorcycles (means of conveyance); 1,400 packets, 2,250 sachets of tramadol and168 packets of codeine; 289 cartons of tomato paste; 258 sacks & 661 wraps of cannabis sativa; 140 pieces of used tyres; 11,645 kegs of 25 litres each of petrol and 343 cartons of foreign wine.

Others are 34 bales, 113 sacks and 36 Ghana-must-go bags of second-hand clothes; 64 sacks and 2,218 pairs of used foot wears, 328 cartons, 320 sacks and 72 pairs of new foot wears, 180 pieces of female handbags; 375 bales, 925 pieces of textile materials and 900 pieces of matchets.

According to Makinde: “the cumulative duty paid value (DPV) for all the above seizures amounted to N3,400,226,707.”

He added that the 2022 half-year performance of the NCS indicates a significant increase in revenue collection and value of seizures recorded, compared to what happened in the first half of 2021.

“The revenue generated from January to June last year was N15,261,074.00 compared to this year’s revenue of N29,940,146.50. Similarly, the estimated Duty Paid Value (DPV) of items seized this year which is N3,400,226,707.00 is higher than that of last year’s record which was N834,765,273.00. That is about 400% increase,” he explained.

He clarified that the command was able to record the achievements due to continuous stakeholder engagement and management, deployment of intelligence in all the operations across the state, structural reorganization of the command and improved motivation of officers by the NCS management.

The Controller promised that his command would continue to dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public on the social/economic implications of smuggling as well as perform its statutory function of enforcing compliance in line with government fiscal policies.

“We shall strengthen the Customs-Community Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within our capacity,” he stated.