The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated a total of One trillion, twenty-three billion, six hundred and sixty-three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, two hundredand fiftyfive-naira, sixty-three kobo (N1,023,663,842,255.63). This shows an increase of 143% above the figures of Four hundred and twenty-one billion, three hundred and eighty-two million, one hundred and sixty-six thousand, three hundredand seventy-eight-naira, forty-six kobo (N421,382,166,378.46) collected in the corresponding period in 2023.
Speaking at the MID-YEAR PRESS BRIEFING for the first half of year 2024, the Customs Area Controller Apapa Command, BO Olomu Ph.D fsi said that since assuming office on May 6, 2024, the thrust of his leadership has been intelligence gathering for enhanced revenue collection backed with deliberately improved customs-community relations.
“Within the period under review, the command made seizures of eleven (11) containers comprising of prohibited items such as expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, footwears, used clothing, armored cables, frozen poultry products etc., with a Duty Paid Value of Four hundred and twenty-four million, one hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five naira (N424,105,975.00) as against 42 seizures with a DPV of N1.4 billion made in the corresponding period in 2023.
It is pertinent to mention that just last week, WE uncovered a large quantity of expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals in 3x40ft container numbers TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, MRSU 5550243, and another 3x40ft container nos. MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559 and MEDU 9752980 loaded with seven thousand five hundred and eighty (7,580) cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption, which is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET). These importations violate section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Consequently, in line with the CGC zero tolerance for smuggling, I have reformed the command way of treating transires by ensuring more meticulous management of cargoes moving from the mother port to bonded terminals.
This has become necessary to prevent a situation where smugglers attempt to perpetuate illegalities In bonded terminals.
To sustain this tempo, no cargo is allowed to exit from our control without thorough inspection using the scanner. We shall not compromise on this as we will keep making seizures, detention and arrests where necessary to protect the national economy and prevent Nigerians from exposure to dangerous or unwholesome products like illicit drugs.” He said