By: Joy Enamuna

……….“We are on the lookout for those behind such unlawful importation of Goods

The Customs Area Controller, Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS) Comptroller Auwal Mohammed has said that the command has collected a total sum of two hundred and twelve billion, five hundred and ninety-two million, six hundred and eighty thousand, seven hundred naira, ninety -nine Kobo (N212,592,680,700.99) between the months of January and March 2023.

The Area Controller who made this disclosure at a press briefing today in Apapa today, went further to expanciate it that the command processed agricultural goods such as Sesame seeds, ginger, Hibiscus, mineral resources, steel ingots and others with a total tonnage of 110,448 metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2023.

Mohammed who took over resently while commending the effort of the officers and sister government agencies said” that statistics from the export report showed that the exported goods were worth seventy billion, two hundred million, eight hundred and twenty-nine thousand, three hundred and fifty-eight naira, sixty-seven Kobo (N70,200,829,358,67) which he said was equivalent to Free On Board, FOB value of $159,845,232.84″.

While reviewing the activities Anti- Smuggling unit, he said ” that within the period under review, the command made seizures of fourteen (14) containers comprising of prohibited goods such as Vegetable oil, footwear, used clothing, unprocessed woods and tramadol tablets with a Duty Paid Value of twenty-two billion, ninety-nine million, six hundred and eighteen thousand, one hundred and eleven naira (N22,099,618,111)”.

On the most resent seizure, “It is pertinent to mention that on Friday, 31 March, 2023, we uncovered a large quantity of 225mg of tramadol tablets concealed in 2x40ft container numbers TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803 where one hundred and forty-three million, eight hundred thousand (143,800,000) tablets of tramadol 225mg were discovered in 720 cartons weighing 10.3 tonnes (10.386kg) that originated from India. This single seizure is valued at twenty-one billion, six hundred million naira (N21,600,000,000.00).

“We are on the lookout for those behind such unlawful importation for arrest and very soon, we will track them down to face the full wrath of the law. As a Service, we owe Nigerians a duty to prevent this kind of importation from entering the market to safeguard the health of the citizenry.

“Let me use this opportunity to warn perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion, and other forms of criminality frowned upon by the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA and other extant laws, that Apapa command will only facilitate legitimate trade.”

Mohammed who took time to elaborate on the success made so far with stakeholders engagement and inter-agency collaboration. He stressed that since assumption of office in the command in January this 2023, he had been meeting with various stakeholder groups comprising importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and others, saying “I am to note that these meetings are yielding good result and will be sustained in the days ahead.”

“Apapa command had a deliberate culture of inter-agency collaboration with other government agencies noting that within the last three months, he had enjoyed robust sharing of credible intelligence and support from other agencies of government