Ogun customs seizes 58 trucks loaded with 34, 540 bags of rice

By Kunle Akinrinade

Ogun 1 Area Command of Nigeria Customs and Excise (NCS) on Thursday said it made a seizure of 34, 560 bags of foreign rice from 58 trucks among other contraband within the first half of 2021.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Idiroko Border Command, Area Controller, Peter Kolo said the Command recorded ‘’incredible performance in areas of revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations, and trade facilitation.’’

‘’In the area of anti-smuggling activities during the period under review in which the Command has been able to record a spectacular seizure of 34,540 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each (an equivalent of 58 trailer loads).’’

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Kolo noted that the quantity of the seized bags of rice would have jeopardized the rice police of federal government if allowed into Nigerian markets.

Other contraband seized during the same period include 31 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil; 30 bags of 50 kg sugar; 51 cartons of tomato paste; 1,514 book size wraps of Cannabis Sativa and 44 pieces of used tyres, 2,224 kegs of petrol(25 litres each)’ 84 bales of second-hand clothes and 115 pairs of footwears, among others.

Kolo added: ’’The cumulative duty paid value (DPV) for all the above seizures amounted to Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy Three Naira and Zero Kobo (N834, 765, 273.00).

‘’The Command generated total revenue of N15,261,074.00 in the half-year of 2021 which are mainly proceeds of auction sales of seized petroleum products (PMS) and scrap metals. It should be noted that Federal Government of Nigeria’s directive on border closure is still subsisting, hence, there is no revenue generated from imports activities.’