Nigeria Customs arrests 47 smugglers, seizes 28,180 bags of rice

Alexander Davis

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, in Ogun State, has arrested 47 smugglers in connection with various offences at the border.

ConsumerConnect learnt the Command impounded 28,180 bags of foreign rice and parboiled rice from smugglers in the last 11 months.

The service attributed the shortfalls in its revenue generation to the border closure which started four months ago.

Hussaini Abdullahi Onawo, Public Relations Officer, in a statement said the border drill exercise that was initiated by Federal Government commenced on August 20, 2019, had placed temporary embargo on movement of goods through the land borders nationwide.

New Telegraph had reported that the NCS had collected the sum of N494billion between January and till date, representing 76 per cent of its annual allotted target of N6.50billion.

However, Onawo explained that the amount was lower than the N5.07million recorded in same period in 2018.

Mohammed Uba Garba, Customs Area Controller, also noted that the Command seized some 1,302 contraband valued at N1.57billion from smugglers around the borders. Garba attributed the seizures in the last 11 months to the strategic policy measures put in place to tackle the menace of smuggling, irregular migrations, and other trans-border crimes.

He itemised the seizures to include 28,180 bags of foreign parboiled rice with Duty Paid Value (DPV) and levy of N777.73 million; 140x50kilogrammes of sugar with DPV N588, 000; 62 used vehicles valued at N220.43 million; 1,100 bales of used clothing and 101 sacks of used clothing with DPV N70.17million; and 185 sacks of shoes, bags, belt, slippers both new and used with DPV N27. 6million

There are 1,539 x 6yards, 30 x 7yards, 16x6yards of textile materials and wrappers valued at N10.52million and 5,489 cartons of frozen poultry products with DPV N49.4million.

Others are 397x25liters of vegetable oil, 9x10liters and 37x5liters of vegetable oil with DPV of N138.62million; 2,109x25liters of premium motor spirit (PMS) with DPV of N7.69 million; 14, 955 general merchandise items with DPV of N234.39million and 1, 992 parcels of hard drugs / narcotics with DPV N37.8million.