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Tag: customs

  • 2019 elections: Customs to deploy scanners in ports

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has okayed the deployment of scanners at seaports to check the influx of dangerous items into the country, it was learnt.

    Speaking with The Nation, its Area Controller, Tin Can Command Mr Musa Baba Abdullahi said the Service would deploy the scanners to boost 100 per cent cargo clearance.

    “With regards to the 2019 elections, the Service is trying to commission the scanners. Some of them are not there now, but the Service is working seriously to ensure that the scanners are put in place.

    “As soon as the scanners are put in place, we are sure of 100 per cent cargo examination through the scanners. At least,  we would be sure of what is coming, compared to the physical examination that is there now,  sometimes, human element can come in, sometimes you might forget certain things, which might end up being a serious issue,”he said.

    On the involvement of foreigners in cargo clearance at the seaports, Musa blamed the development on Nigerians.

    He called for a law that would  spell it out that certain jobs must be reserved for Nigerians, especially areas where we have the capacity and comparative advantage.

    “Our people prefer foreigners than Nigerians. We need to ask ourselves why it is so; many of the bike riders are from Chad, Niger etc, while those doing tilling are from Togo and Cotonou.

    “Nigerians have to change our attitude to work. Sincerely, we are not good managers. You can carry out an independent analysis of certain sectors; take note of the businesses, we work more, if we are controlled by foreigners.

    “For instance, if you give Nigerian companies, they run it aground. But if you bring in an expatriate from outside, they work hard for every seven days, you would find a Nigerian being engaged unofficially in some family issues and extended family issues. But for the expatriates, who is in the country for the job,  he would forget about those mundane things and focus on his job for 30 days,” he said.

  • Customs eyes 50% revenue growth with Oracle blockchain

    THE Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) said it is eyeing a 50 per cent revenue growth from its adoption of Oracle’s Blockchain Cloud Service.

    Assistant Comptroller-General, Modernisation, Nigeria Customs Service, Aber T. Benjamin, said the organisation has used Oracle’s blockchain to build a trusted platform for the automation of Customs Excise Trade business processes and procedures.

    “Using this technology, we found the entire business environment can be migrated to blockchain to automate processes and create transparency and predictability. Once the transition to blockchain is completed, NCS expects revenue growth increase of about 50 per cent. This technology helps our organisation to build global trust for Nigerian businesses through irrefutable data on goods manufactured in the country,”ACG Benjamin said.

    The successful completion of this Proof of Concept (PoC) shows that, the entire business environment of Customs can be migrated to blockchain, to automate as many customs processes as possible, creating transparency and predictability.

    NCS last year recorded its highest revenue collection ever of over N1 trillion as against N770 billion target set for the year.

    The block chain technology, which is also being used to drive cryptocurrencies, helps businesses to achieve more secure and efficient transactions and to track goods through supply chains on a global scale.

    Benjamin said the technology is helping the NCS to build global trust for Nigerian businesses through irrefutable data on goods manufactured in the country.

    Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Platform, Amit Zavery, said blockchain has the power to fundamentally transform how every industry does business by making interactions more secure, transparent, efficient and cost-effective.

    He said: “Oracle Block chain Cloud Service provides customers with a development platform to build their own networks, and to quickly integrate with Oracle PaaS and third-party applications they already use, as well as other block chain networks and Oracle PaaS services. It also enables users to provision block chain networks, join other organisations, and deploy and run smart contracts to update and query the ledger.”

    He added that Oracle’s block chain platform leverages the company’s decades of experience across industries and its extensive partner ecosystem to reliably share and conduct trusted transactions with suppliers, banks, and other trade partners through block chain.

    “Block chain promises to be one of the most transformative technologies of our generation. With Oracle’s platform, enterprises can enhance their business, eliminate unnecessary processes, and transact with their distributed networks more easily, transparently and securely than ever before,” he said.

    diverse systems of record; greatly accelerating time to market and multiplying the returns from using the block chain platform across different application use cases”.

    Group Vice President of Manufacturing and Retail Insights, IDC, Robert Parker, said: “Block chain projects are quickly moving from pilot to production as enterprises and governments begin to see the inherent value of distributed ledgers and smart contracts.

    “As spending accelerates, buyers will need an enterprise class platform beyond open source that includes data security and integrity, scalability, manageability and interoperability.”

  • Customs’ ‘Strike Force’ co-ordinator vows hard times for smugglers

    The new National Co-ordinator, ‘Strike Force’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Abdullahi Dahiru Kirawa has promised smugglers hard times.

    Speaking at the weekend after taking over the leadership of the anti-smuggling outfit of the Service, Kirawa said he would collaborate with other Customs’ Commands to flush out smugglers.

    He said with the support of other officers of the Service, he would harness all human and material resources to achieve the zero tolerance policy on smuggling.

    A few years back, his group, it was learnt, seized about 10,000 bags of rice in a single operation on Seme/Badagry Expressway.

    Kirawa is seen by his colleagues as a grassroots officer, who understood the terrain and has the ability to conquer the environment where smugglers carry out their nefarious activities.

    “I know the terrain more than they do and I’m a grassroot man too with a lot of informants. So, my advice to them is that they should find legitimate things to do to earn a living because if they continue with smuggling, they will not only lose their investments, but will equally be prosecuted.

    “Everybody knows that the CGC, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has zero tolerance for anything that is illicit, including smuggling and is fully prepared to descend heavily on criminals in the system.

    “Therefore, with his mandate, my team and I are fully ready to crack down on all saboteurs of the economy. The law must be implemented to the letter as far as the Strike Force of the Customs is concerned.

    “I must make it known here that the Strike Force covers the entire country and my men are all over the place, both land and water, to ensure that no illegal goods enter undetected. Like I said earlier, anybody who wants to lose his investments and face prosecution should smuggle. We will spare nobody because we stand by the mandate given to us by the CGC and the law of the land,” he said.

    Seeking the cooperation of stake-holders, he advised importers and customs agents to keep abreast of import guidelines.

  • Customs seizes N48m wood

    • Seven held in Katsina

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted unprocessed wood worth over N48 million.

    The wood were for export.

    The wood were concealed in four 20ft containers with Reg Numbers: TRHU 361154-8, MRSU 017398-0, TRHU 336524-9 and BSlU 299069-8 and ladened on lveco trucks with Reg. Nos LSD 507XS; JJJ 558XV; AGL 530 XA and one unmarked truck before the vehicles were intercepted on Apapa Axis by the Comptroller-General’s Strike Force led by Zone A Commander Salisu Asaba Bullah.

    Bullah confirmed the seizure, adding that the unprocessed wood fell under the export prohibition list. He said the consignments were being held at the Government Warehouse, Ikeja.

    It would be recalled that the Forestry Department in 2016 said the maximum allowable dimensions of unprocessed wood for exports are 30mm-350mm long, 50mm-360mm wide and 25mm-345mm thick.

    Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Vice President Dr Kayode Farinto said unprocessed wood export was illegal.

    “Exporters of unprocessed woods must have all the required permits, including Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) certificate for exports, strict compliance with  the provisions of the extant guidelines for non-oil exports, completion of Nigeria Exports Proceeds form and that of the Customs Service, opening of letter of credit for buyers and repatriation of  foreign exchange proceeds arising from the approval into the company’s  domiciliary account in Nigeria, and all the Corporate Affairs Com-mission (CAC) certificates required for the establishment of  any company.

    “The most essential aspect of the law guiding wood exports is that the exporter must own a saw mill where these woods are processed to the required sizes for exports. This will create employment opportunities for Nigerians and add value to the economy,” Farinto said.

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna/Katsina Command of the Service has arrested seven suspected smugglers of foreign rice and other contraband.

    Its Controller, Mr Olusemire Kayode, said the contraband  included 1,892 bags of foreign rice, 162 bags of foreign sugar and hundreds of cartons of spaghetti.

    According to him, the items were intercepted between January and last June.

    The controller assured that the suspects would be charged after investigation.

    He also said the command had recovered 32 vehicles abandoned by suspected smugglers who fled to escape arrest when the Customs personnel approached them.

    “As you can see, our office is filled up with different cars arrested from smugglers with rice and other items.

    “Whenever smugglers sighted our operatives, they will remove the car power steering, run away and allow the car to run into ditch,” he said.

    Kayode said the NCS was determined to stop smuggling. He urged the public, particularly border communities, to assist with useful information to track and apprehend smugglers.

  • Customs loses officers to road accident – Spokesperson

    The Nigeria Customs Service Command, said it lost two of its officers in an accident on Badagry/Seme road in Badagry area of Lagos State.

    Mr Saidu Abdulahi, the Public Relations Officer of the command told the News Agency of Nigeria in Badagry on Monday that the accident involved three of officers of the command.

    “On July 14, a custom officer, named George, who was driving a Toyota Avalon lost control of his car while approaching the Gbaji Checkpoint

    on the Badagry/Seme road.

    “In the process, he rammed into two other custom officer, namely Usman and Kabiru, who were at a checkpoint a development that resulted to their death.

    “The driver of the car is presently at the Badagry General Hospital, receiving treatment as he is in delicate and fragile state,” he said.

    He dismissed the insinuation that the cause of the accident was speeding by the driver of the car.

    “There wasn’t any case of speeding as being said in some quarters. It was just an unfortunate event and it is a sad day for the command.

    Abdullahi described the victims as “some of our best behaved officers.“

    He noted that appropriate measures had being taken in reaching out to the victim’s families.

    “We have reached out to their respective family and measures have been taken in ensuring that they don’t feel the loss of their loved ones.”

  • Customs intercepts truckload of 200,000 live ammunition in Niger

    The Niger, Kwara, Kogi Command of the Nigeria Customs has intercepted a Onitsha bound truck load of 200,000 live ammunition being brought into the country from Benin Republic.

    Two suspects who were identified as the driver, Bukari Dauda and the owner of the cartridges, Martin Anokwara were apprehended along the Wawa – Babana border in Niger state in a Iveco Truck with Lagos registration number AKD 904 XE

    According to the Command Controller, Comptroller Benjamin Binga said that his men intercepted the truck which entered the country through the Babana border at about 3 a.m on Monday morning.

    He said that the truck was disguised to be carrying over 100 empty gericans but on thorough checking, it was discovered that the truck had a false bottom which was used to hide the cartridges.

    “The checking was not from tip off, it was just out of sheer curiosity that my men decided to do a thorough checking and discovered that unlike other bottoms of trucks, this one had nuts and on removing the nuts, they discovered it was a false bottom which revealed the cartridges.

    “The cartridges are numbering thousands, it would take us hours to count it. We are now working to establish what the cartridges are really meant for and who sent them to bring it into the country. ”

    Interrogating the suspects, the driver of the truck, Bukari Dauda said he is from Cotonu in Benin Republic and he was employed by the driver, Martin Anokwara to drive the truck for him to Onitsha.

    Dauda said that he did not know the truck contained live cartridges as Martin only told him he wanted to take the empty gericans back to the Nigeria.

    The owner of the cartridges, Martin Anokwara confirmed that he is the owner of the cartridges just as he said that it is not meant for robbery .

    According to him, he supplies hunters and licensed owners of double barrel guns adding that he only sells them in Anambra.

    Martin explained that the driver of the truck fell sick which made him contract Dauda to drive him back to Nigeria saying that they had entered the country before they were apprehended by the customs.

    The Customs Controller of the Niger, Kwara and Kogi Commamd said that they would be interrogated before they are charged to court.

  • Customs seizes rice worth over N6m

    The Comptroller-General’s ‘Strike Force’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  has  intercepted 420 bags of smuggled rice worth over N6.4 million, it was learnt.

    The seizure is in addition to the 3,000 bags of rice intercepted last week by the group on Shagamu/Ijebu-Ode Expressway.

    Its National Coordinator, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa, said the bags of rice were concealed in trucks carrying gravel in Shaki, Oyo State.

    He said since the task force Zonal Commander Salisu Asaba Bullah made the Ogun axis unaccessible, smugglers were now moving towards the Oyo.

    He, however, promised that the task force would make all routes in the Southwest inaccessible for smugglers.

    “Less than a week after the zonal co-ordinator in Ogun Axis intercepted 3000 bags of rice, they were able to arrest another truck load of rice concealed inside gravel sand.

    “We know the smugglers are desperate and smart, but we are many steps ahead of them, the interception we made was based on intelligence because we can all see how desperate they are to smuggle these contraband into the country.

    “The seizure is attributed to intelligence provided by the Customs Intelligence Unit and my team and we have vowed to make the southwest zone a no go area for smugglers and make sure they count their loses no matter their antics,” he said.

  • Customs impounds 850 cartons of Tramadol, cannabis

    The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, Owerri Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 850 cartons of Tramadol, other illicit drugs and contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N379 million in the last two months.

    NCS Area Controller in charge of the zone, Comptroller Ahmed Azarema, said the seizures were made between March and June.

    The contraband included illicit drugs, bags of rice, used tyres, second-hand clothes and different brands of vehicles.

    They were reportedly confiscated on Benin Mobile Patrol and Owerri–Port Harcourt axis.

    Azarema said NCS operatives confiscated a Mack truck with 582 cartons of Tramadol and 258 cartons of Tygracildenafil with a DPV of N21.462 million.

    The Controller said the unit also seized a MAN Diesel truck “with 98 cartons of Ibamol drug (50 packs per carton), 22 cartons of 200 milligrams (mg) of Tramadol, 15 cartons of 225 mg Tramadol and 250 mg (50 packs) of Tramadol valued at N11.862 million.

    “A Mark Mercedes Benz with 327 Indian hemp with an estimated at value of N11.445 million was also intercepted.

    “Other items confiscated include Lexus ES 350, 2007 model, valued at N3,318 million; a Mercedes Benz G 500 bulletproof, 2001 model, with DPV of N60.750 million; a Toyota Hilux, 2016 model, valued at N1,809 million and a Toyota Prado, 2015 model, with DPV N23,402 million.

    “A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, 2014 model, valued at N33.145 million; a Mercedes Benz GLE 350 with DPV N25.199 million; a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser, 2018 model, with DPV of N37.999 million and a Mercedes Benz C350 valued at N4.955 million.

    “Toyota Highlander, 2013 model, valued at N13.388 million; a Toyota Highlander, 2009 model, with DPV N4.957 million; a Mercedes Benz truck with 230 cartons of 22 kilogrammes imported rice, six bales of used clothes with a DPV of N10.270 million and 30 cartons of Automatic Couple Head  valued at N61.692.”

     

  • Customs arrest nine smugglers in Katsina

    •Agency seizes 31 trucks of contraband goods

    The Kaduna/Katsina Area Command of the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) said it arrested nine smugglers and impounded 31 trucks carrying contraband goods.

    The Comptroller, Olusemire Kayode, who addressed a news conference yesterday, said seven of those arrested will be prosecuted under the Customs Exercise Management Act of 2004 as amended.

    The impounded vehicles, considered as Vehicles of no Economic value, will be handed over to Katsina Dynasty Motors under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the company signed with the NCS.

    Kayode noted that the smugglers have devised several strategies to carry out their activities, including using vehicles with just the driver’s seat, and those without steering.

    He, however, insisted that his agency has devised several contingency plans to counter them.

    The Comptroller hinted that the command has taken delivery of sophisticated weapons, including Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) which can ply difficult terrains and motorcycles for un-motorable routes and bush paths. More personnel have also been hired to tighten tracking of smugglers and checkmate anti-economic activities.

  • Ali doesn’t limit performance, says Customs PRO

    …says no disquiet in Customs

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Attah on Thursday said that the Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) does not limit legitimate performance of duty in the service.

    He debunked an online publication that there was disquiet among the top echelon of the organization.

    According to him, who spoke to The Nation on phone, the report claimed that the anxiety was among top echelon of the service: the Deputy Comptroller-Generals and Assistant Comptroller-Generals.

    The report, he said, also claimed that “people around me (PRO) told them in confidence the CGC is starving me of logistic to do my job. They added that I cannot complain publicly.”

    Attah, who noted that the Customs boss does not limit legitimate performance, however, pointed out that that it was the same Comptroller-General that approved his official trip to Port Harcourt, where he was when the mischievous story broke.

    His words: “Incidentally, my attenuation was drawn to this mischievous publication when I was even outside the headquarters performing my official duty. So, who approved my journey? Is it not the same Comptroller-General?

    “The Comptroller-General that I know is not a man who limits you or dictates to you once he is convinced that he knows what you are doing. He gives you free hand to do your job.”

    Describing it as laughable for one to conjecture a disaffection in the Service at the moment that it is progressing than ever, he said that compliance with the policies of the NCS has never been optional.

    He said that “there is no disquiet in the service, loyalty in the service is not an option. Nigeria Customs Service is a para military organization and therefore loyalty is not an option. I have personally tried to investigate all the boys that work under me and no body said so. If they said somebody around me said so, they should be bold enough to tell me the person. They cannot cry more than the bereaved.

    Continuing, the spokesman insisted that “cheap display of an agenda cannot fly in the place of a man whose antecedent is predicated on discipline, truth and integrity.”