19th December, 2017
Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Elisha Chikan on Tuesday said that his command has generated N16.182 billion within 11 months of this year as against N13.54 billion generated within the same period last year.
Chikan, who stated this in Ibadan at a press briefing said that the Command also seized 2,370 bags of rice, 135 bales of used clothes and two used vehicles, popularly called ‘Tokunbo’- Audi 80 and Toyota Corolla in the last two months of the year.
Chikan explained that the increase in revenue generated this year over that of last year put at 19.48 percent was remarkable and a manifestation of tireless efforts of the officers and men of the Command.
He gave the Duty Paid Value, DPV, of the seized vehicles as N11.066 million while that of the other goods was put at N53, 116, 021.29, making a total sum of N64, 183, 004.77 as the DPV on the seizures during which four suspects, currently on conditional bail were arrested with a promise that they would soon be charged to court.
While stressing that the achievement was the result of intensified intelligence driven anti-smuggling efforts of the command, the Comptroller maintained that NCS had zero tolerance for smuggling because of its dire consequences on the nation’s economy.
He pointed out that the NCS of today had no reason not to perform because the Comptroller-General of Customs, Rtd. Col. Ahmed Ibrahim Ali had provided the service with enabling tools and environment to perform their duties effectively, adding, “hence, we will do everything within our capability to fight smuggling to a standstill”.
During the period under review, Chikan stated further that the Command made a total of 111 seizures with a DPV of N210, 188, 134.24 just as he lamented that most the goods being seized were conveyed in trucks and other types of vehicles meant for doing legitimate businesses and conveyance of commuters.
He commended the efforts of both the officers and men of the Command and other collaborating arms under the NCS, saying, “due to the relentless efforts and formidable intelligence gathering as well as collaboration with other units such as Headquarters Compliance Team, Federal Operations Unit and the Customs Intelligence Unit, we were able to make these arrests”.
The Comptroller, who used the occasion to assure genuine importers and exporters within the command of its support to facilitate their businesses called on the media not to relent in helping the command to educate and inform members of the public about the ills of smuggling and the need to desist from such practice.
He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the ban on the importation of rice and used vehicles (Tokunbo) through the nation’s land borders is still in force and we will not fail to make the smugglers face the full wrath of the law”.