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Tag: customs

  • Customs recovers N17b from post-clearance audit

    The Post Clearance Audit (PCA), Zone A unit of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, recovered a total of N17,444,627,587 last year, a document sighted by The Nation over the weekend at the PCA’s Warehouse Road Office, Apapa, Lagos.

    According to the document, the recovery surpassed the ones made by the Unit in 2017 by more than N1billion. The figure of 2017 stood at N16,325,201,584 while in 2016, the unit made a total recovery of N15,592,024,702.

    Furthermore, the document indicated that the unit had recovered N8,698,124,641 between January and June 2018, making it N2,687,980,161 above the N6,010,144,480 collected in the corresponding period in 2017.

    The PCA unit of the NCS is saddled with the task of auditing documents of already cleared goods to ascertain if accurate duties were paid on such goods. Where short payments are discovered, the concerned parties are invited or given a demand notice (DN), informing them of what they owe government. This happens long after they have already taken delivery of the imported cargoes.

    According to PAC Customs Controller, Mohammed Kura, the feat of recoveries attained by the unit is the result of the alertness of the officers and men saddled with the responsibility. It is also a function of determination to ensure that government does not lose any revenue. The unit, he explained, uncovered several duty underpayments in various transactions and that after some attempts to argue them away, the defaulting parties were made to pay.

  • Customs detains four officers over killing

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has detained four of its men in connection with the “accidental discharge” on Sunday, which claimed the life of Mr. Godwin Onoja.

    The incident, which occurred at the Shagamu interchange on the Lagos-Benin Expressway, involved some operatives of the NCS Federal Operations Unit (FOU) A, while on anti-smuggling patrol.

    Read also: Ogun killing: Customs detains four officers

    Customs spokesman Joseph Attah said in a statement yesterday that the Comptroller-General, Hameed Ali (retd), had set up a panel led by the Zonal Coordinator A, to investigate the killing.

    He said any officer found culpable would be dealt with.

     

  • Customs begins interrogation of officers

    …looks into weapon handling

     

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says its officers involved in the incident that occurred along Ijebu Ode road on Sunday are being interrogated.

    Mr Joseph Attah, the Public Relations Officer of NCS made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.

    A video which went viral on Social Media on Sunday showed a man, supposed passenger of a commercial bus was allegedly shot dead by a customs officer, though, it was denied by NCS, saying it was an accidental discharge.

    Attah explained that the Customs Assistant Comptroller General, Zone A, Ekekezie Kessy had on Monday visited the Federal Operations Unit in the zone at Ikeja, Lagos to interrogate the officers involved.

    He said that the investigation was to find out the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate incident that led to the death of an innocent citizen.

    According to him, the interrogation will also reveal if better handling of weapon will have averted the incident.

    “The officers involved are being interrogated, we look at it holistically, including weapon handling skills.

    “If the officers are found guilty, they will be punished appropriately, we will allow the investigation to take place first.

    “We still stand our ground that it is not a passenger of the bus that was deliberately shot dead but the victim was hit by the accidental discharge.

    “An audio is now trending from one of the passengers of the bus that the person that died is not one of them.

    Read Also: Customs’ ‘accidental discharge’ kills one

    “We insist that the person that died was not a passenger but a good Samaritan who used to assist our officers, we described him as a friend of Customs,’’ he explained.

    The spokesperson said that training of its personnel was a continuous process, adding that the Service often sought assistance of the military in this regard.

    “Like we said that in our statement, it is painful and totally unnecessary to lose life in anti-smuggling operations.’’

    He urged the general public to be wary of what was being posted on social media because some of those things could mislead them.

  • EFCC denies deal to exclude ex-Customs chief Dikko from prosecution

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) has denied being part of any deal to exclude former Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko Inde from criminal prosecution for fraud and money laundering.

    EFCC made the clarification in a notice of preliminary objection it filed in a suit by Inde, in which the ex-Customs chief claimed to have entered an agreement with the EFCC to refund about N1.6billion to Federal Government’s coffers, following which he would excluded from prosecution.

    Lawyer to Inde, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), while arguing his client’s counter-affidavit to EFCC’s objection on Thursday, contended that it was a breach of an existing agreement and contract for EFCC to seek to prosecute the ex-Customs chief after he has kept to his side of the bargain and made huge refund to the government.

    Magaji also faulted EFCC’s claim that the suit was wrongly commenced by way of origination summons.

    He argued that, contrary to EFCC’s contention, facts in the case were not contentious. He added that the issue involved in the case was simple.

    Mahmud said: “Our case is simply about the interpretation of Section 174 of the Constitution and Section 14(2) of EFCC Act, and no more.

    “Our decision to bring this action by way of an originating summons is the appropriate position. There is no hostility in the whole case.

    Read Also: Whistleblowing policy yields N527b – EFCC

    “Our client was to be prosecuted for financial crimes. When he was invited, he was confronted by information the EFCC said it has against him by virtue of its investigation activities.

    “He (Inde) was confronted with options of either to enter a refund agreement or be prosecuted. He agreed to a refund. And made refund in several tranches.

    “At every payment, we ensured that we get evidence of payment from the bank,” Magaji said.

    He identified the evidence of payment as reflected in some court documents marked as Exhibit 1 to 20D, and said “these are the evidence of the refund we made”

    When asked by the judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, aboutwhere the said agreement was reached, Magaji said a meeting was held at the instance of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

    Magaji added that after the agreement was reached by parties, an official of the EFCC, who he identified as Hajeed (who was the IPO in the case) provided an account number into which his client (Inde) made all the refund he made.

    He added: “We have fulfilled our side of the agreement. It is for the EFCC to fulfil its own side of the agreement, by complying and allowing things to settle

    “We are asking that under Section 174 of Constitution and Section 14(2) of EFCC Act, the EFCC is not bound by this agreement.

    “We are asking this court to enforce this agreement on them. They should be bound by the agreement,” Mahmud said.

    In a counter-argument, EFCC’s lawyer, Chile Okoroma urged the court to decline jurisdiction over the suit because it was wrongly instituted.

    Okoroma argued that the case was brought under the originating summons rules when facts in the suit are disputed.

    He added: “They said they made some payments by agreement and we said no, we are not aware of any payment.

    “They claimed Magu (EFCC’s Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu) was part of the agreement, but we said no. We do not know anything about the agreement they claimed to have with the AGF.

    “These are triable issues. There are contentious facts and we say, we need those disputed facts to be resolved by calling oral evidence. That is our ground of objecting to the suit.

    Before entertaining arguments from the two lawyers, Justice Dimgba observed that while there was evidence that the AGF was aware of the case and had been served all documents relating to it, the AGF has not filed any process in response to the case since it was commenced last year.

    In a ruling, Justice Dimgba uphled EFCC’s objection in part.

    The judge agreed that facts were contested by parties and ordered them to file pleadings.

    He said: “Having reviewed the processes filed, I am of the view that the suit was wrongly commenced. The facts are so hostile. Parties are to file pleadings.

    The judge adjourned to March 1 this year.

  • Apapa Customs nets N404billion in 2018

    The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday disclosed it generated a N404, 020,447,791/42 as revenue for 2018.

    The figure indicates the Command achieved 95 percent of its revenue target for last year, which was pegged at N426,192,827.46

    A comparative analysis of the revenue showed that in 2018, the command generated N53,042,035, 977.22 more than the 2017 revenue collection, representing an increased collection of 13.13 percent over 2017 collection.

    The Customs Area Controller (CAC) Apapa Command, Bashir Abubakar, who made this known at the Command’s office attributed the success to the selfless stance of officers and men of the command and also with the support and backup of the CGC, Col Hammed Ali and his management team.

    He said the other strategies the command adopted which led to the success includes insistence on seamless operation of the import and export business by his administration, including the introduction of a 24-hour dispute resolution team, one spot examination at all unit and agencies.

    Read Also; Customs intercepts police uniforms, others in Lagos

    The strategies such as advanced system and monitoring, collaboration between internal and external units of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other government agencies, and the implementation of these strategies, he further explained, had helped to block most revenue leakages and enhanced trade facilitation and security.

    “In the year under review, the command also seized and condemned 41 of 40ft containers or controlled pharmaceutical drugs including tramadol in excess of the allowable milligrams with Duty Paid Value (DPV) N8.812billion.

    “Furthermore, the command also intercepted and seized one export bound used helicopter with registration number 5BN valued at N210.6 million, in addition another import bound Aircraft “Cessna 182A” in CKD with serial no. 3400 valued at N486.9 million was also seized in accordance with the provision of the extant laws and guidelines.

    “All these times were seized owning to various infractions such as false declaration, concealment and complete disregard to import and export guidelines,” Abubakar said.

    The Command, he revealed, recorded high level of compliance on export declaration while 2, 500 containers were blocked for non-compliance.

    Yet, he said, the Command recorded 1, 26649.67 metric tons of exported good in 2018 valued $239,467,926.23 (N 73.157 billion).

    He noted the command’s achievement in 2018 earned the command the World Customs Organisation (WCO) award during the WCO day in January 2019.

    The CAC therefore urged stakeholders to continuie corporating with customs by adhering strictly to the extant laws and guidelines on import and export for the collective goods of the nation.

  • Customs intercepts police uniforms, others in Lagos

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has intercepted bales of police Uniform, tear gas canisters and other paraphernalia of the Nigeria Police Force.

    Other items include police ranks, belts, berets and police badges with identity cards. The items were concealed in a Toyota Sienna space bus heading out of Lagos.

    The Customs Area Controller of the Unit, Muhammed Aliyu said a suspect was in the custody of the unit in connection with the seizure.

    He said the items seized portend big threat to national security as it is destined to get to the wrong hands.

    Read Also: Stop embarrassing us, monarchs warn Customs

    “The seizure is a threat to national security because the uniform can be used for kidnapping, Boko Haram or elections but generally, it threatens national security,” the unit controller said, adding that the police identity cards seized have no name on them.

    He affirmed that the seizure is of great concern because it concerns the national security of the country because of the havoc it can be used to wreck.

  • Customs decries attacks

    •Officer dies on duty

    The Nigeria Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Command, has condemned attacks on its officials.

    The Area Comptroller, Nasir Ahmed, in a statement yesterday made available to reporters by the spokesman, Danbaba Isah, said the operatives had continued to come under attacks by smugglers and their accomplices.

    Ahmed said while on patrol on January 26, a combined team of Customs officials, including the Headquarters Information Patrol Team, the Command Roving Team ‘A’, the Patrol Team ‘D’ Bichi axis and the Intelligence Unit were attacked at Gwammai village, Kano.

    He said criminals suspected to be smugglers attacked his men, causing them injuries and vandalising their vehicle after accusing them of causing accident on the road, a claim the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the accident had denied.

    Read also: Okorocha warns Igbo on 2023

    The command lost an officer who was hit by a fast speeding rice smuggler.

    The incident happened on January 31.

    Ahmed frowned at the lawless acts and called on parents and community leaders to call their children to order, “as the command will henceforth not hesitate to use appropriate force to deal with such persons.”

  • Customs to sue firms for delaying N1.8b premium

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller-General, (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) on Tuesday vowed he would not hesitate to sue four firms for defaulting to pay the families of deceased officers’ backlog amounting to N1.819 billion premiums between 2009 and 2014.

    The customs boss however disclosed after getting the go-ahead from the National Assembly to pay the families from the service’s last year’s budget, he has raised a committee to effect the payment within six weeks.

    Ali, who made the announcement in Abuja, while inaugurating a committee to clear the claims in three tranches, revealed the defaulting insurance companies are: Niger Insurance, Great Nigeria Insurance, Chrome Insurance and Country and City Insurance.

    He accused the firms of not paying the Group Life Assurance and Group Personal Accidents liabilities during the period.

    The Comptroller-General noted that the firms did not give any excuse for sitting on the premium.

    According to him: “We have taken all the steps that we can including reporting them to the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) but to no avail.

    Read Also; Customs mulls vehicle duty review to 10%

    “Maybe we will end up, with the advice of the legal adviser, going to court.”

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) boss said the people that suffer most from this are families and next of kin of the deceased officers.

    “What we did was to liaise with the National Assembly (NASS) in the last year budget within our fund to pay up these claims to alleviate the suffering. On how to get the money from the brokers will be decided in court,” Ali noted.

    Tasking the seven-man committee, he said: “Every Kobo will be paid with the supervision of the office of the CGC. It is our hope that this will alleviate the sufferings of our people.”

    Also inaugurating an eight-man committee to distribute perishable goods seized by NCS, he said Customs warehouses were filled and the need to distribute rice and other goods before the rainy season.

    Ali said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the inclusion of formal orphanages and crisis areas beside the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

    “We are looking at in the next six weeks, we should be able to distribute this consignment,” Ali said.

    The CGC has also ordered a comprehensive biometric exercise to capture all officers and men of the Service. Ali said there were disparities in the figure of the workforce.

    “There are officers who have been chopped out of the Service but they are still wearing uniforms and extorting money. These are the ones giving us a bad name,” he said.

  • Why Customs is seeking review of vehicle duty

    The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) retired Col. Hammed Ali, on Monday said that the service is seeking the review of Customs Duty on automobile to 10 per cent.

    This according to him, is because the importers, who are complaining that it is too expensive have resorted to using ports of adjoining countries. It has also denied Nigeria the duty it would have collected from so many importers of vehicles and others have taken recourse to smuggle them into the country.

    The decision to increase the duty to 35 percent for used vehicles and 70 percent for brand new ones was taken to discourage importation of automobile into Nigeria in order to encourage local manufacturing of vehicles. He, however, said that the implementation of the policy has not yielded any positive results several after.

    He spoke during the 2019 International Customs Day celebration in Abuja with the theme: “Smart boarder for seamless trade, travel and transport.

    His words: “What I suggested which is something we have been suggesting, is on Automative duty. If you know how the duty has been shared; we have 35% duty, 35% levy. But if you import a brand new vehicle to Nigeria you pay 70% duty. From what we have done-analysis and statistics, I discovered that this duty has now driven most of our importers to our neighbouring ports.

    “Also, it has increased the rate of smuggling into this country. Having interacted with our stakeholders what we discovered is that the sudden increase in duty is what is driving them to other ports. And the 35% was for us to encourage our own Automative industry in order to ensure that we develop, but 20, 30 years down the road we cannot develop it and we are giving away a lot of money. It does nothing, it is a waste. We have reduced that.

    “It is our hope that statistics and volume of import will increase and therefore the duty collected by Customs will increase.

    So we are advising and we will continue to do that, that government should review the levy. And we are asking that it should be reviewed close to about 10%. If you do that, it means that collecting duty from new vehicle will be about 45% as 35% is the duty and 10% is the levy.

    “I am sure that with that we will get an increase in the volume of importation, save the lives of our people because smuggling will reduce, and therefore, we will increase the intake in terms of revenue and therefore the economy will develop.”

    The Customs boss noted that the Federal Government has the political will and all it takes to combat smuggling to skyrocket its revenue.

    Read Also: Customs seizes N43.1m Tramadol, Penkidol

    Ali said that if the NCS gets the right equipment to fight smuggling it could double, surpass its 2019 revenue target of N887billion and even its last year collection of over N1.22trillion.

    According to him, the service will ensure that every good that is imported into Nigeria is assessed with non-altruistic equipment in order to get the true value of its revenue.

    He said “Our sea ports and airports will be covered by non-altruistic equipment. That will give us 100% examination of everything that comes into this country. Not only revenue will rise, it will effectively secure this country against illicit importation.”

    The Comptroller-General warned that following the emerging trend of mob attacks on operatives of anti-smuggling duties, the NCS will no longer treat lightly any attempt to attack its officers on official duty.

    He called on parents, guardians and indeed traditional rulers of boarder communities to advise their people because the service will not hesitate to use the appropriate force to deal decisively with the disturbing trend.