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Tag: customs

  • Row over death of two residents during customs, smugglers clash

    A row has broken out over the death of two men during a clash between operatives of the Ogun State Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and hoodlums suspected to be smugglers at Owode-Yewa on Monday.

    The victims, Bello Mohammad Jamiu, 32, and Adeleye Taiwo,39, were said to have died when customs men raided a church where hundreds of bags of foreign rice were hidden inside several vehicles in Elekute area of Owode..

    Hoodlums suspected to be smugglers were said to have resisted the evacuation of the rice from the church premises leading to a confrontation during which Jamiu and Taiwo were allegedly killed and others injured.

    The situation worsened on Tuesday after irate youths set up bonfires on the road and embarked on a stop- and- search of vehicles for customs men to attack.

    Residents and community leaders in the town blamed the operatives of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Ogun State Command for the killing, insisting that justice be done to bring the errant minions of law to book for their indiscretion.

    The spokesman of Ogun State Customs Command, Mr Abdullahi Maiwada, in a statement released on Monday said the suspected smugglers had attacked customs officers who went to a church where hundreds of bags of banned foreign rice were kept inside several vehicles.

    ‘’The officers went on an operation to save Nigerian economy from the mayhem of smugglers, who stocked (the rice) in a place of worship and houses nearby. The team faced resistance from armed criminals, who inflicted serious injuries  on two officers, among others, and further damaged patrol vehicles.

    ‘’The encounter led to exchange of gunfire between customs officers and smugglers with their accomplices. For peace to reign, the anti-smuggling team resorted to tactical withdrawal.

    ‘’However, the hoodlums took law into their hands by barricading the main road leading to Idiroko, scouting for customs officers to attack.’’

    In a communique issued and signed on Wednesday by the monarch of Owode Yewa, Oba M.S. Akindele, outraged community leaders condemned the killings and urged Customs authorities to punish the masterminds and compensate the bereaved family of the victims.

    The statement reads: ‘’This communique is issued to express our displeasure and grief over the killing of Bello Mohammad Jamiu -32 years and Adeleye Taiwo-39 years. Their corpses have been deposited at the Ota General Hospital.

    ‘’It was reported that men of the Nigeria Customs Service came to Elekute area of Owode Yewa to raid the community while they carted away hundreds of bags of rice from the area.

    ‘’Five schools within the area were also shot at with pellets of bullets found in their compounds. In the attack by men of Customs, the officers shot sporadically with their stray bullets hitting passers-by in the thickly populated community.

    ‘’As a result, the two persons stated above died as a result of stray bullets with many persons injured. Also, shops, cars and school buses carrying school children, were badly damaged with some of the children injured.

    The statement added: ‘’Our demands (are) that a high-power investigation be conducted to ascertain the customs officers involved in his dastardly incident.

    ‘’That the killer-customs officers be identified within 24 hours, or reasonable time in order to guarantee safety in the town and those found culpable be made to face the wrath of the law.

    ‘’That the families of the deceased be adequately compensated as they all left their wives and children behind; that the hospital bills of those injured be paid and the shops and vehicles damaged be repaired. Finally, that we demand strongly that the incessant killings be stopped forthwith and constant harassment of the community be put to an end.’’

  • Customs seizes N43.1m Tramadol, Penkidol

    The Nigeria Customs Service General Strike Force team has seized 1,926 packets of 200 milligrams of Tramadol, 2,190 packets of 225 milligrams of Tramadol Royal and 218 packets of 50 milligrams of Penkidol worth N43.1 million in Niger state.

    The trailer conveying the drugs was apprehended along Suleja-Minna and was said to be heading from Kogi state with its final destination to Kontagora/kebbi.

    Showing newsmen the seized drugs at the Niger/Kogi/Kwara Zonal office of the Nigeria Customs Service in Minna, the National Coordinator of the Strike Force Team, Deputy Controller Abdullahi Kirawa said that the drugs were ‘carefully, shrewdly and craftily concealed in the trailer.”

    He pointed out that the Tramadol found was above the limit allowed by law which was the reason why it was seized adding that although the arrest was made with suspects, the suspects had been released on administrative bail while investigation is ongoing to unravel the real owner of the goods.

    Kirawa also disclosed that the Strike Force team also seized 733 50kg bags of imported foreign parboiled rice valued at N11.5 million, 110 bundles of 330 pieces of used tires, 18 bales of second-hand clothing worth N648,000, one used J5 bus with duty paid value of N1.3 million and a used Pontiac Vice with duty paid value of N648,000.

    According to him, “the total number of seizure gotten in Niger state is put at N61,459,500. I urge all genuine importers to continue with their business as we are here to facilitate trade while the economic saboteurs will have the arms of the law catch up with them soon.”

    Read Also: Five injured as Customs, smugglers clash

    The National Coordinator of the Strike Force team stated that the people that engage in the illicit and illegal trade will stop at nothing to ensure that their wares are distributed to the nook and crannies of the country declaring that the Strike Force team will leave no stone unturned in bringing an end to smuggling in the country.

    “Imagine the danger that the drugs we seized would have had on the youths and the Society. The negative effect will be enormous as the youths who use it would pose a security challenge to the society.

    “Similar drugs were arrested in Enugu and here again in Niger state. It is a fight for all, we need to join hands to rid the society of this illicit and illegal drugs. We are vigilant and up and doing to ensure that we rid the Nation of the bad eggs that are determined to ruin our youths. ”

    Kirawa then called the people to be involved in intelligence gathering stressing that public sensitisation is important on ensuring that the scourge of smuggling is eradicated.

  • Five injured as Customs, smugglers clash

    Hell was let loose yesterday, as men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) clashed with hoodlums suspected to be smugglers, in Owode, Ogun State.

    At press time, no fewer than two officers of the NCS sustained severe injuries. Three others were inflicted with minor injuries.

    The mayhem, which is said to be a reprisal on the NCS by members of the community, came on the heels of a Customs’ raid on Monday on a church compound in the community after discovering smuggled bags of rice hidden in vehicles parked inside the church premises by suspected smugglers.

    Although the raid on the church premises for the smuggled items, largely rice, was unsuccessful, as resistance was said to have been put up by youths believed to have been mobilised by the smugglers, The Nation gathered that during the operation, one of the smugglers sustained gunshot wounds.

    The NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ogun State Command, Abdullahi Maiwada, in a phone chat with The Nation, said the officers were on routine anti-smuggling patrol at Owode, Yewa area of Ogun State.

    He confirmed that two officers were critically injured and another three received degrees of injury.

    Maiwada, who said the attack was a gang up against the anti- smuggling operatives, having sensed that suspected smuggled rice stocked in a worship centre and nearby buildings had been discovered, thanked sister security agencies who assisted NCS to ward off the hoodlums.

  • Customs impounds rice worth N100m

    The Kano/Jigawa Customs Command on Tuesday in Kano impounded over 3,000n bags of foreign rice and some assorted contraband, valued at over N100 million.

    Briefing reporters at the Command’s headquarters in Bompai, Kano, on Tuesday, the Comptroller Nasir Ahmed, said the goods were intercepted at various border towns within Jigawa axis.

    He attributed the success, so far achieved to the collaboration, with the Customs Intelligent Unit (CIU), the headquarters, Information Patrol Team (IPT), strike force, Federal operations and other relevant units of the service, because we are not competing among ourselves, but rather working together to stop smuggling.

    Ahmed warned that :” We want to tell the smugglers to have a rethink and look the other way for a new business, as 2019 would be no smuggling year for their nefarious activities.

    Also, he urged the youths against availing themselves to be used as agents, of conveying contraband goods into the country, adding that in most cases, the youth engaged in the act, unaware of the contents in the parcel.

    He, however, warned the youths to desist from such businesses, which has led to the rise of drug abuse, as well as the proliferation of illegal arms in the country, advising that agriculture should rather be embraced and encouraged, among the youth.

    Read Also: Customs records 4,010 seizures in 11 months

    ”We must do everything possible to save our country, as I do not want to run to Niger, neither can Niger contain Nigerians.”

    While disclosing that the Command has impounded not less than 33 vehicles since January this year, used for smuggling foreign rice, he added that other assorted vehicles intercepted by the Command, are awaiting the owners to come forward and tender their relevant documents.

    According to him, the Command was able to generate N14.7 billion as revenue out of 56 seizures made.

  • SON destroys N8.4m fake goods in Kano

    Standards Organization Of Nigeria ( SON ) has destroyed fake and substandard goods worth over N8.4m in Kano.

    The substandard items which were confiscated towards the end of 2018 from markets across the state include 83 bags of 25 kg rice, 275 bags of Mosquito coils, I90 cartons of shaving sticks, NOCACO Cables, 6 bags of fertilizer, 146 trays of brake fluid and 7 bales of empty sacks of rice.

    SON Northwest Regional Coordinator, Alhaji Adamu Abba who represented the Director General Anthony Aboloma at the destruction of the items, revealed that the goods were impounded, following a tip-off from the markets, in collaboration with sister agencies and effort of the organisational staff.

    He said SON does not derive pleasure in destroying inferior items considering the economic waste and associated with the environmental pollution from the burning of the goods.

    Read Also: FRSC recruits 4,650 personnel, begins training nationwide

    According to him, there is need for manufacturers and distributors of such items to know how committed the organisation is in protecting the rights and safety of consumers from being shortchanged.

    “We need to ensure that in line with our mandate, we do not spear anybody involved in production and distribution of such goods.”

    Also speaking the Kano –Jigawa Coordinator of SON, Alhaji Yunusa B. Muhammad said all necessary procedure were followed before burning the fake items such as securing a court order that gave the body the rights to conduct the burning of the goods.

    The destruction exercise were witnessed by Police, customs, NAFDAC, DSS, NESREA, CIVIL DEFENCE, and Kano consumer protection council.

  • FG yet to set 2019 revenue target for Customs

    The Federal Government is yet to set the 2019 revenue collection target for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

    On its own, the organization last year pledged to overshoot the revenue generation of 2017, but when The Nation asked the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah to state this year’s target on phone on Monday, he said it was too early to conjecture it.

    He said “it is too early. We shouldn’t talk about it yet. The Federal Government has not even set its target for the service.”

    He had however, at the weekend, announced in a statement that the organization generated the sum of N1,202,271,240,478.30 for the year 2018, representing N164,897,273,077.50 over 2017 collection which was N1,037,373,967,400.80.

    Commenting on this historic feat, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) described it as the result of dogged pursuit of what is right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.

    According to him, the rising annual revenue generation from the service in the last three years is the result of reform programmes which include but not limited to:

     Upgrade on the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS I) to NICIS II which has blocked leakages.
     Strategic deployment of manpower.
     Strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the Tariff and Trade department.
     Robust stakeholder engagement resulting to increased compliance.
     Increased disposition of Officers and Men to put national interest above selves.

    Read Also: Customs’ collections hit N1.2tr

    In the same vain, the NCS reinvigorated anti-smuggling operations yielded a total of 5,235 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N61,543,633,401.31.

    These seizures include arms, ammunition, more than 59 containers of Tramadol and other controlled drugs and 320,709 foreign rice etc.

    Though smuggling remains a challenge, the service three layers security strategy continues to make smuggling unattractive to the would be smugglers.

    While the service continues to deal decisively with smugglers, fellow citizens, especially border dwellers and port users are advised to support NCS by reporting any smuggling activity to the nearest Customs formation.

    Together we can protect our economy and security by joining hands to fight smuggling and ensure that appropriate customs duty is paid on every dutiable import.

    Accordingly, we appreciate compliant stakeholders that have supported the Service in 2018 and call on all Nigerians and especially international trade actors to help make 2019 better for the nation.

  • Customs collections hit N1.2tr in 2018

    Nigeria Customs service generated the sum of N1,202,271,240,478.30 for the year 2018, representing N164,897,273,077.50 over 2017 collection which was N1,037,373,967,400.80.

    Commenting on this historic feat, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) described it as the result of dogged pursuit of what is right rather than being populist by compromising national interest on the altar of individual or group interests.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Attach made this known in a statement on Friday.

    According to him, the rising annual revenue generation from the service in the last three years is the result of reform programmes which include but not limited to:

     Upgrade on the electronic systems from Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS I) to NICIS II which has blocked leakages.
     Strategic deployment of manpower.
     Strict enforcement of extant guidelines by the Tariff and Trade department.
     Robust stakeholder engagement resulting to increased compliance.
     Increased disposition of Officers and Men to put national interest above selves.

    In the same vein, the NCS reinvigorated anti-smuggling operations yielded a total of 5,235 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N61,543,633,401.31.

    Read Also: Customs records 4,010 seizures in 11 months

    These seizures include arms, ammunition, more than 59 containers of Tramadol and other controlled drugs and 320,709 foreign rice etc.

    Though smuggling remains a challenge, the service three layers security strategy continues to make smuggling unattractive to the would-be smugglers.

    While the service continues to deal decisively with smugglers, fellow citizens, especially border dwellers and port users are advised to support NCS by reporting any smuggling activity to the nearest Customs formation.

    Together we can protect our economy and security by joining hands to fight smuggling and ensure that appropriate customs duty is paid on every dutiable import.

    Accordingly, we appreciate compliant stakeholders that have supported the Service in 2018 and call on all Nigerians and especially international trade actors to help make 2019 better for the nation.

  • Customs records 4,010 seizures in 11 months

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it recorded 4,010 seizures with duty paid value of about N40 billion between Jan. and Nov. 2018.

    The Service said this in a document, a copy of which was made available by the Spokesman of NCS, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.

    NAN reports that the seizures were slightly lower than 4,889 seizures made in 2017.

    According to the document, the seizures include arms, ammunition, dangerous drugs, vehicles and rice.

    The document indicated that NCS made seizures of 59X40FT containers of tramadol and other controlled drugs across the NCS commands in Apapa (40), Tin Can Port (10), and nine at Onne in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    The Service said in-line with the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture, a total number of 238,094 (50kg) bags of rice were seized across the country within the period under review.

    It explained that NCS had continued to auction the seized items via online platform devoid of any influence, adding that so far, 806 vehicles were uploaded, and 753 winners emerged.

    Read Also: Fire guts 70 shops in Minna market

    “A total of N346,146 million had been generated through the electronic platform as the portal opens by noon, Monday to noon on Wednesday of every week.’’

    NAN recalls that the present Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) had introduced the e-auction platform: app.trade.gov.ng/eauctionon July 3, 2017.

    Meanwhile, the spokesperson told NAN that N1.1 trillion revenue was generated between January and November, 2018 and this had surpassed the N1.03 trillion generated in 2017.

    Attah said that the quantum of seizures made so far by Hameed Ali-led administration was a testimony that the Service had been able to block leakages and enforce the anti-smuggling law strictly in 2018.

    According to him, the strategic deployment of officers and men of the service and the establishment of strike force as the third layers of security, have impacted positively on operations of the Service.

    “We are aware that our insistence on compliance, arrest and prosecution of smugglers and increasing disposition of customs officers to place national interest above self is against the interest of some people.

    “With these achievements, we must have stepped on toes, and that is why some enemies go to town with misleading information accusing the Service of nepotism, non-facilitation of trade and corruption.

    “It is curious that such people will choose the time when officers are turning down bribes like the case in Apapa.

    “Our officers rejected N150 million bribe offered by arrested suspect to save the nation from consuming 40 containers of dangerous drugs.

    “Customs, under the current Comptroller-General, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) cannot be cowed into relaxing its hard stand on enemies of the state.

    “We will insist that all international trade actors comply with the fiscal policy of government,” he said.

    The spokesperson said that the service, charged with the responsibility of implementing the fiscal policy of government would not be deterred by any form of blackmail. 

  • Customs seizes 8,413 bags of rice in Kwara

    Nigerian Customs Service yesterday said it has seized 8,414 bags of 50 kilograms of suspected smuggled foreign rice in Kwara State. Also ‘arrested’ alongside the suspected rice were 525 litres vegetable oil stored in jery-cans, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Abdullahi Kirawa has said. He added that the goods were evacuated in Okikan village along Bori-Kishi road, off Alapa, Moro local government area of Kwara State.

    Conducting reporters round the warehouses where the seized goods were kept in Ilorin, the state capital, Kirawa said “what we are showcasing this morning happened in the last four days. On Tuesday the 18th of the month, I addressed your colleagues in Benin, Edo State where all manner of seizures were showcased. And the ingenuity improvised by smugglers to evade detection exposed.

    “These bags of rice were found in dwelling houses in the village. Dwelling houses have been turned into mini warehouses where these smuggled items were kept. What I did was to get in touch with the Magaji of Onikan village where l appealed to him to sensitise his subjects as to ills and evils of smuggling. I made him know that smuggling is detrimental to the economy and that there are inherent dangers associated with smuggling.

    “People see smuggling as a business, whereas smuggling is the mother of all evils, because it is through smuggling that illegal arms and ammunition brought into the country, adulterated and poisonous food items can be smuggled in, which is hazardous to the health. Illicit drugs are smuggled into the country and you can see the effect on our youths.

     

  • Customs seizes N137m rice, second-hand clothing

     

    The Headquarters Strike Force Team of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized contraband foreign parboiled rice and second-hand clothing worth N137 million in the past one month in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

    National Coordinator of the Team, Deputy Comptroller, Abdullahi Kirawa, who disclosed this to reporters while inspecting the items at the Government Warehouse in Calabar  on Wednesday, said a total of 5, 662 50kg bags of rice were seized, of which 2, 153 was handed over to them by the Nigerian Navy.

    Kirawa said this showed the level of cooperation and synergy that exists between the Customs and other sister security agencies.

    “It is of note that these seizures would not have been possible without the motivation of the team by the headquarters, particularly the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali rtd, who has given us all that we need to ensure that not only is smuggling reduced to the barest minimum, but that we ensure that the menace of these people is not perpetuated in this area.

    “I use this medium to call on members of the public to help us with valuable and credible information so that we make more of these arrests.

    “These seizures were just in the period of one month. You know this is the yuletide period and a lot of smuggling activities would be on the increase but then because of the doggedness and the determination of the officers to excel and ensure that we perform our duties to the best of our abilities, we would ensure they are arrested and the perpetuators are brought to book,” Kirawa said.

    Kirawa, was conducted round by the leader of the Strike Force Team in Zone C, which consists of Calabar, South-South and South-East, Assistant Comptroller Kolade Kayode.