By Olubunmi ISIOPHKE
In line with the service statutory mandate and the three point agenda of Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, aimed to generate more revenue, suppress smuggling activities and enhance trade facilitation, the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it has generated the 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) as revenue between the months of January and March 2023.
This information was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Apapa Customs Area Command, Comptroller Auwal Mohammed at a press briefing in Apapa.
Mohammed, said, “The 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.”
On anti-smuggling activities, the Controller maintained, “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).”
Comptroller Auwal opined, “On Friday, 31st March 2023, the command uncovered a large quantity of 225mg of tramadol tablets concealed in 2x40ft container numbers TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803 which is worth one hundred and forty-three million, eight hundred thousand (143,800,000).”
Adding, “It was discovered 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).”
The CAC asserted, “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.”
He reaffirmed, “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.”
His words: “Since my assumption of office in the command in January this year, he has been engaging meeting with stakeholders and various inter-agency collaboration, various stakeholder groups comprising importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and others, and these meetings are yielding good result and will be sustained in the days ahead.”
However, the CAC insisted that 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.
Compt. Auwal thanked the CGC, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) CFR and his management team for their untiring support to the command.
