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  • Customs seizes N50m rice, vegetable oil in Ogun

    Customs seizes N50m rice, vegetable oil in Ogun

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operation Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, yesterday, seized over 6,000 bags of rice and 2,000 kegs of 25kg vegetable oil at Lusada in Ado-Odo Ota area of Ogun State.

    The commodities with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N50million were seized based on intelligence reports.

    The suspected smugglers were said to have kept the commodities in their various warehouses and shops for sale at the Lusada Market today. But Customs swooped at 2a.m.

    NCS Public Relation Officer (PRO) Uche Ejesieme said efforts were being made to arrest and bring persons behind the unlawful act to book.

    Ejesieme said: “Apparently aware of the implication of being caught with their smuggled wares, the suspected smugglers did not show up when our officers swooped on Lusada market and its environs.

    “Upon the visit of the comptroller-general to Lagos, our controller, Amade Abdul, reminded all officers of the comptroller- general’s zero tolerance for smuggling and other illegalities.

    “Although, we don’t know the quantity yet, let alone the value but I make bold to say that this is one of the best operations handled by the unit in recent times and we are ready to do more.

    “We are not unaware of the smugglers’ drive to beat us by applying unusual means, especially as we have efficiently and strategically positioned our men on the bush paths and other likely routes, therefore they have bitter experience to tell their friends and other smugglers.

    “This seizure is a direct message to all involved in smuggling that they stand a great chance of going to jail as we are keen on matching seizures with suspects.

    “Whoever wishes to import rice should do that through the seaports and approved land borders as approved by the Federal Government and pay correct duty.

  • Senate summons Customs boss over new rice policy

    Senate summons Customs boss over new rice policy

    The Senate has summoned the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to explain the reasons behind the recent lifting of ban on rice importation.

    In a motion sponsored on Thursday by Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and 28 other senators, the lawmakers expressed concern over the reintroduction of import duty payment at land borders.

    During the debate, the senators queried what they described as the Comptroller General’s unilateral decision to reopen the country’s land borders to rice importation.

    They move, they collectively argued, might reverse the gains so far recorded in rice production in the country.

    The Comptroller General had, in a recent directive, ordered the immediate removal of rice from import restriction list and reintroduced import duty payment at land borders.

    The Customs authority had explained that the previous restriction which only applied at land border stations had been lifted by the C-G.

    Going by the directive, rice imports through land borders would attract the prevailing import duty of 10 percent, with 60 percent levy.

    Senator Aliero however argued that the unilateral decision by the Customs boss posed dangers to local rice production and also could discourage further investment in rice farming and agro-allied industries in the country.

    Aliero noted that Nigeria is presently the largest importer of rice in the world, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture has projected that the demand for rice will continue to rise from the current level of five million metric tons to 36 million metric tons by 2050.

    Quoting figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, the senator put the national supply deficit gap at 1.5million metric tons.

    Many other senators who contributed to the debate however argued that the Customs boss should be given the opportunity to offer explanation for his actions to enable the Senate take informed decision.

    The senators, including Emmanuel Bwacha, Shehu Sani, Dino Melaye and Foster Ogola submitted that rather than asking the Customs boss to reverse the directive, he should be allowed to defend his action.

    President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who rounded off the debate, also stressed the need to give the Customs boss a fair hearing on the matter.

    Saraki said, “The only reason we are talking about this is that we really need to give the Comptroller-General a chance to explain why the decision was taken.

  • Customs goes tough on Idiroko axis

    Customs goes tough on Idiroko axis

    The Headquarters Special Assignment team, Idiroko axis of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), is making life difficult for smugglers in the area.

    The team, led by the Assistant Comptroller, Shittu Abdul-Maruf, it was gathered, has sent many smugglers out of business because of its unique approach.

    The team, investigation revealed, parades all approved and unapproved routes around the border  to stem the cycle of criminalities by the smugglers.

    When The Nation visited the area last Saturday, many vehicle dealers around Idiroko, Owode and Atan complained about the ability of the team to tame car and frozen foods smugglers.

    The ability of the team leader to deploy the tools of Information Communication Technology (ICT)  and the window provided for him by the Customs to confirm the  authenticity of vehicle documents of importers, it was gathered, now makes car smuggling unattractive in his area.

    The team, it was gathered, now carries out anti-smuggling campaigns in all areas, which hitherto provided a safe haven for smugglers and disrupts the economic activities of those patronising the smugglers in the area,

    The team, findings revealed, has achieved a commendable breakthrough in anti-smuggling in the area based on the huge volume of seizures it has recorded in recent times.

    Some of the goods seized by the team, investigation further revealed, are kept in government warehouses in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja and in other approved locations.

    Last Wednesday, it was gathered that the team faced stiff resistance from the frozen poultry foods smugglers at Owode, but the operational doggedness of the team leader and his officers, it was learnt, forced the smugglers to run into the bush.

    Findings, however, revealed that some of the strategies adopted by the team in its anti-smuggling crusade included  intelligence gathering system, recruitment of useful informants and 24-hour surveillance along smuggling corridors to reduce saboteurs’ activities.

    A senior Customs officer in Abuja, who does not want to be mentioned, told The Nation that a visit to some of the government warehouses would reveal the tempo and determination of the team to deal  with those engaged in illicit trade around the borders.

    “The results of the efforts of the team were seen in the quantum of remarkable seizures which they made in just few weeks of their assignment.

    “It is, therefore, not an overstatement to say that the team has rolled out arsenals to frontally tackle the hydra headed monster of smuggling for the desired effect. Its leader, Shittu Abdulmaruf, has mapped out unique operational templates enhancing their performance.

    “Since his assumption of office, Abdulmaruf and his team have left no stone unturned in their effort to dismantle the supply chain of smugglers in their areas of coverage.

    “The Comptroller-General had given a marching order, which is encapsulated in his policy thrust and this provides the necessary impetus for Customs to ensure resilience and enforcement of the fiscal policies of Federal Government in terms of trade facilitation and anti-smuggling crusade.

    “The task of suppressing smuggling is the statutory responsibility of the team and they have been mandated to ensure that no smuggler is spared no matter how highly placed he or she is. Our operation is 24 hours and Abdulmaruf’s appointment and assignment may have been informed by his antecedents in areas of anti-smuggling and revenue generation. This mandate keeps a moral burden on him and his team and we believe that is why they are not leaving anything to chance,” the officer said.

    The officer also praised the officers and men of the FOU for their support.

     

  • Customs boss vows to prosecute corrupt officers, others

    Customs boss vows to prosecute corrupt officers, others

    THE Comptroller-General of Customs (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has vowed to prosecute corrupt officers, importers and clearing agents involve in shady deals at the nation’s seaports.

    He warned that the era of cutting corners and denting the image of the service has ended, stressing that officers, importers and clearing agents must “key into the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari Administration”.

    Addressing over 2,000 Customs officers and other operators at the Apapa Command  in Lagos yesterday, Ali said he was in town to collaborate with them to boost trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government.

    The Comptroller-General said the relevant law that established the service would be applied in dealing with corrupt officials, operators and others that might try to bend the rules governing genuine cargo clearance procedure from the ports.

    Assuring importers and clearing agents of the zero-tolerance for corruption of the Buhari administration, he urge them to always make proper declaration to save the service the unnecessary  need of subjecting their cargos to 100 per cent  examination.

    Customs Act, Ali said, stipulates five years jail terms without option of fine for anybody that engages in false documentation, under-declaration and release of containers without due process.

    The retired military officer said petitions against Customs officers that demand for bribe or involved in other questionable deals should be directed to his office through the following e-mail addresses: CGC@customs.gov.ng and Complaints@customs.gov.ng

    The Customs boss, who visited the Lagos ports for the first time since his appointment, added that the service would review some key promotions, postings and welfare packages of  Customs officers to end corrupt practices at the ports.

     

  • Customs seizes N226m goods in Imo

    Customs seizes N226m goods in Imo

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Owerri, Imo State capital has seized counterfeit drugs worth N226.38 million.

    Its Area Controller, Victor Dimka, told The Nation last weekend that he was happy that the drugs were seized because they are harmful to health.

    The items, he said,  did not have NAFDAC registration number.

    Dimka warned the public to desist from patronising individuals and stores selling with unregistered drugs.

    Other items seized were furniture, 303 cartons of dining table glasses, 1,936 pieces of side stool with a DPV of N63,120.

    Others, which were seized along  Owerri-Eleme Port Harcourt Road, were 1,430 pieces of bags, (similar to laptop bags) valued at N8.58 million.

    He said the items were seized within one week, adding that no arrest had been made except the driver of one of the vehicles carrying the goods.

    Dimka reiterated the determination of the Customs to fight smugglers until they were brought to their knees.

    According to him, the Customs is now better equipped, trained and motivated to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum.

    The state Coordinator of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Victor Mmamel, who received the items on behalf of the Director-General of the agency, praised the service for the good job.

    He promised to continue to collaborate with customs and other security agencies to end the illicit trade.

     

  • Investigate customs officers in the Southeast, group urges Buhari

    The Campaign for Democracy (CD) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, to investigate the alleged corrupt activities of his officers in the Southeast.

    The group urged Buhari to overhaul the leadership of the NCS for alleged impunity and abuse of office.

    A statement by its Chairman Dede Uzor. A. Uzor, said the current crop of officers have dented the image of the NCS, adding that urgent intervention by the Presidency was imperative to save the traders from further harassments and extortion.

    The organisation alleged that the activities of these officers was responsible for the continued rise in the prices of essential commodities as traders are compelled to inflate prices because of the bribe given to the officers at the road blocks.

    The statement reads: The traders have lost over two billion naira in the last four months to extortion and indiscriminate seizure by the officers who waylay them at every entry point.

    “The activities of these men have become worrisome to the CD, given its grave consequences. At every checkpoint, which is scattered all over the place, each lorry pays between N20,000 to N50,000, depending on the goods it was conveying, though they have all the requisite papers.

    “Most disturbing is the fact that the impounded goods still find their ways to the market because the wives and relatives of these officers own some of the biggest shops in the markets, which they stock with the seized products.

    “This is not a mere allegation, but a serious issue that should be investigated, and those indicted be punished accordingly. We are urging the President to extend his war against corruption to the customs officers serving in the Southeast. He should as matter urgency, set up a taskforce to monitor their activities.

    “The impunity of these officers cannot be compared to what is obtained in other zones and this explains the high rate of seizure of goods.”

    When contacted on the allegations, Controller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, David Dimka, responded thus: “since you are in Owerri, you can do your investigations and find out the truth”.

  • Customs goes tough on smugglers

    Customs goes tough on smugglers

    Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  has gone tough on smugglers as two zonal commands seized goods worth over N266 million.

    Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja seized N56,479,200 worth of goods; while its Zone ‘C’ Command in Owerri, the Imo State capital, impounded over N200 million worth of goods.

    The goods are 4,480 cartons of foreign Eva soap, 714 cartons of fake drugs and others with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N219,375,479.

    All the goods do not have NAFDAC registration numbers.

    Its Area Controller, David Dimka told The Nation that the items included 1,920 cartons of banned mosquito coils with a Duty Paid Value of N38,400,000.

    The driver and the vehicle conveying the fakle drugs, Dimka said, were arrested and may be prosecuted after investigation.

    Contrary to the laws that all inscriptions on imported items must be written in English, investigation revealed that the leaflets were written in Chinese. The items also do not have country of origin, manufacture and expiry dates.

    “We have more often than not warned on the dangers of using second-hand tyres because most of them, if not expired, are discarded by their country of origin and Nigerians import them and use same to kill human beings without listening to the words of reason from the government not to kill their brothers and sisters with something that is bad. The FRSC is in a better position to tell us how many lives have been lost on the roads as a result of the use of second-hand tyres by motorists,” Dimka said

    He stressed the need for Nigerians to comply with the government’s regulations, and stop those sabotaging the economy.

    Dimka said he was unhappy that some uncharitable people smuggle in fake drugs to kill their fellow human beings, adding that those involved in the business are helping his men in their investigation.

    Mrs. Esther Itua, Dimka said, received the seized items on behalf of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii.

    Findings also revealed that the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos seized goods worth N56,479,200.

    The seized items included 1,887 bags of parboiled rice with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N12,256,500; 4,854 cartons of smuggled poultry products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N26,211,600 and two vehicles with DPV of N9,990,000.

    Other items seized by the officers of the unit are new and used tyres, textile materials, vegetable oil, used shoes, fruit juice and spagetti worth over N8 million.

    Its Area Controller, Amade Abdul, said his men are committed to the fight against smuggling.

    “We will not just maintain standards, we will also ensure that we  improve on the standard of discipline, decision making and level of compliance to rules and regulations; we will ensure due diligence and that things are not done haphazardlly, because if they are done haphazardly it will affect the revenue generation,” he said.

    He warned smugglers to desist from their illicit act or be ready to face the law.

     

  • Customs goes tough as Eid-el-Kabir approaches

    Customs goes tough as Eid-el-Kabir approaches

    Two zonal commands of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have seized goods worth over N266 million as the Eid-el-Kabir festival approaches, investigation has revealed.

    Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja seized N56,479,200 worth of goods; its Zone ‘C’ counterpart in Owerri, the Imo State capital, impounded over N200 million worth of goods.

    The goods are 4,480 cartons of foreign Eva soap, 714 cartons of fake drugs and others with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N219,375,479.

    All the goods do not have NAFDAC registration numbers.

    Its Area Controller, David Dimka told The Nation that the items included 1,920 cartons of banned mosquito coils with a Duty Paid Value of N38,400,000.

    The driver and the vehicle conveying the fakle drugs, Dimka said, were arrested and may be prosecuted after investigation.

    Contrary to the laws that all inscriptions on imported items must be written in English, investigation revealed that the leaflets were written in Chinese. The items also do not have country of origin, manufacture and expiry dates.

    “We have more often than not warned on the dangers of using second-hand tyres because most of them, if not expired, are discarded by their country of origin and Nigerians import them and use same to kill human beings without listening to the words of reason from the government not to kill their brothers and sisters with something that is bad. The FRSC is in a better position to tell us how many lives have been lost on the roads as a result of the use of second-hand tyres by motorists,” Dimka said

    He stressed the need for Nigerians to comply with the government’s regulations, and stop those sabotaging the economy.

    Dimka said he was unhappy that some uncharitable people smuggle in fake drugs to kill their fellow human beings, adding that those involved in the business are helping his men in their investigation.

    Mrs. Esther Itua, Dimka said, received the seized items on behalf of the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii.

    Findings also revealed that the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos seized goods worth N56,479,200.

    The seized items included 1,887 bags of parboiled rice with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N12,256,500; 4,854 cartons of smuggled poultry products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N26,211,600 and two vehicles with DPV of N9,990,000.

    Other items seized by the officers of the unit are new and used tyres, textile materials, vegetable oil, used shoes, fruit juice and spagetti worth over N8 million.

    Its Area Controller, Amade Abdul, said his men are committed to the fight against smuggling.

    “We will not just maintain standards, we will also ensure that we  improve on the standard of discipline, decision making and level of compliance to rules and regulations; we will ensure due diligence and that things are not done havazardlly, because if they are done havazardlly it will affect the revenue generation,” he said.

    He warned smugglers to desist from their illicit act or be ready to face the law.

     

  • Hameed Ali: The man who would clean up Customs

    Hameed Ali: The man who would clean up Customs

    Is there a procedural or legal error in the appointment of Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) as the new Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)? The President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, and other stakeholders in the maritime industry believe there is none. The 1999 Constitution and the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), the stakeholders said, empower President Muhammadu Buhari to hire Ali to clean the mess in the service.

    Security reports, it was gathered, did not favour most of the current Deputy Comptrollers-General because of their super-rich status. Most of them and their immediate families, an informed official of the service alleged, live in questionable wealth. Hence Ali was appointed by the Federal Government on Thursday, August 27, as the new Customs boss through a press release issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, following the voluntary retirement of the immediate past CG, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi.

    Ali, it was gathered, led a Spartan lifestyle during his years in the army and continued same even in retirement. Speaking with The Nation yesterday, a senior official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, who asked not to be named, believed that most of the critics of Ali’s appointment as Customs’ CG were beneficiaries of “the incurable rot in the service’ before his appointment.

    The NCS, the official said, is a para-military organisation, hence it would not be out of place if it is headed by a retired military officer. “After all, the Customs, on many occasions, depends on the military to fight smugglers around our borders,” the official added. “After voluntary resignation of Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi from the service, it became clear to President Buhari that he needs another patriotic Nigerian like him to clean up the high level of corruption in the service.

    “CEMA does not have the force of law and Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution empowers President Buhari to make the appointment from outside the service. For statutory bodies into which the law does not clearly define how appointments are made, the President is fully protected by the 1999 Constitution on how he can make the appointments.

    “What that gazette is saying in effect is that the President cannot pick any customs officer below the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General to head the service. It is an internal procedure. The new CG was picked from outside the service, so the rule does not apply to him.”

    He said that President Buhari is protected by section 5(1)(a) of the constitution which, he said, allows him to appoint any Nigerian to help him deliver part of his executive powers. The section says: “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the Federation shall be vested in the President and may subject as aforesaid and to the provisions of any law made by the National Assembly, be exercised by him either directly or through the Vice-President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the public service of the federation,” the official said.

    He attributed the delays in cargo clearance from the ports to issues associated with the fact that some senior officers are finding it difficult to accept the new order of reforms. “They still believe that the new innovations the service introduced, which are mainly ICT-based, were introduced to ease them out of the service because they believe in the old manual system and they have refused to learn the new computerised system,” said the official.

    Buhari’s decision to appoint Ali as the new Comptroller-General of NCS, The Nation learnt, was based on his three rare attributes, namely integrity, frugality and patriotism. Ali, a former military administrator of Kaduna State, is said to be nicknamed by his associates as Netanyahu, because of his principled posture.

    Ali’s simplicity, his associates say, is evident in the fact that he can drive a car for more than 10 years despite his vantage position and high-level connections within and outside the army. A sound military officer, he is said to hold bachelor and master’s degrees in Criminology. His appointment as a non-career Customs officer, the official said, would not be the first in the history of the service.

    His words: “For instance, Shehu Musa, a career civil servant, was appointed Director of the Department of Customs and Excise in 1975 to reform the structure inherited from the colonial government. Musa later served as the Secretary to the Federal Government in the Second Republic.

    “Haliru Bello Mohammed, a veterinary doctor, was in the Ministry of Internal Affairs when he was seconded to Customs as a director in 1989 by the Ibrahim Babangida administration. During that period, Customs, Immigration and Prisons were one unit under the internal affairs ministry. In 1990, after the three services were unbundled, Mohammed was appointed the first Controller General of Customs.

    “Samuel Ango, a retired Brigadier-General, was appointed sole administrator of the service by the late Sani Abacha. Ango held the position until February 1999 when the administration of the former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, appointed Aliyu Ahmed Mustapha as the Comptroller-General.”

    Like other stakeholders, the Federal Ministry of Finance official attested to Ali’s frugality and commended his prudent use of government resources at his disposal in the positions he held in the past. The official said before Ali was appointed, some top officials of Customs who could have succeeded Abdullahi shot themselves in the leg by writing petitions to the authority, calling themselves names and blackmailing themselves in their bids to become the CG.

    The official said in his plan to diversify the economy and depend less on the revenue from oil because of the glut in the international market, Buhari sees Customs as one of the key agencies that can boost the nation’s economy.

    “Ali’s appointment is a fulfillment of the promise Buhari made to Nigerians during his campaign. He needs an outsider to carry out a comprehensive and holistic reform for optimum performance and efficiency.

    “Some of the agencies the President is focusing on include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and a few others. Although Customs and FIRS are currently contributing immensely to the revenue revenue profile of the government, the President believes they can do more if all avenues for leakages are blocked.

    “The petitions they wrote against one another indicated to the President that none of the current top senior officers of Customs could muster the courage to end the rot in the system. That, we believe, made President Buhari to look for a neutral and trusted individual who would help him achieve his desire to reform and reposition the service for greater efficiency and probity.”

    Findings revealed that Ali had served as the Chief of Staff to President Buhari for many years and had unbroken relationship before and after they both left the army.

    “During that period, the President assigned him tough assignments and he was able to carry them out without fear or favour. Apart from that, his integrity, frugality and high level patriotism drew him closer to the President for over 30 years now,” the official said.

    Shittu, the President of ANLCA, however, said the task before Ali is enormous.

    “To block revenue leakages, instill discipline in the officers and men of the service and rake in more revenue into government coffers, the new CG needs to halt fraudulent abuse of waivers by top government officials. These questionable waivers, which usually run into billions of naira, were given in the past to some influential politicians, individuals and organisations to the detriment of the nation.

    “The last administration witnessed abuse of waivers because many of them did not add value to the economic development of the country. He must boost the trade facilitation programme of the Federal Government, ensure that no Customs officer on the field is allowed to quarry the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) issued from ruling house and ensure that Customs officers desist from undue inference in cargo clearance.”

    He urged Ali to take the welfare of officers and men of the service seriously for him to achieve why he was drafted to head the service. For instance, he said the service collects N7 billion from the N100 billion it generates every month, urging Ali to block all the loopholes so that the amount it generates would be higher, more Nigerians would be employed, better salaries would be paid while capital projects would be embarked upon and training and re-training of officers on modern trade facilitation programmes would be achieved.

    “He must let them know that the more revenue they generate, the more money would be available to the service to remunerate and train its officers and men,” he said.

    Customs, it was gathered, has six aircraft which they use to take photographs and transmit to the office to analyze and dispatch men wherever suspicious movements are observed. In some instances, findings revealed, Customs invites the military and they assist them with some of their men and invade the locations.

    Most of the spectacular seizures reported in recent times came about as a result of the joint effort of the military and Customs. With Ali’s appointment, an importer, Mr Oliver Philips said, stakeholders expect a higher level of men and officers of the Nigeria Customs’ compliance with the new reforms, greater integrity in the way they do things at the ports, and more efficient, better educated, highly motivated, ICT driven, highly competent and trade facilitating workforce.

  • Customs chief vows to prosecute smugglers

    Customs chief vows to prosecute smugglers

    The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)  Col. Hameed Ali (rtd)  has vowed to arrest and prosecute any one caught in the act of smuggling, promising that under his watch, all avenues of revenue leakages will be blocked.

    A statement endorsed by NCS Deputy Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, explained that the Customs chief gave the commitment during his maiden meeting with officers and men of the NCS at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja.

    The CG said every act of economic sabotage including false declarations, deliberate misapplication of tariff, undervaluation and concealment shall be dealt with decisively.

    Ali called on all stakeholders to support Customs in order to achieve its mandate towards the Federal Government’s resolve to secure the nation, boost the economy and create job opportunities for the youths.

    The NCS has raked in N37,836million from seizures of banned products in its eighth and nineth week of operations.

    The items which were impounded from different locations along the Southwestern borders of the country.

    “The war against smugglers of frozen poultry products into the country tagged Operation Hawk Descend has continued to yield massive results as the Service has recorded seizures of the banned products worth N37,836million in eight  and nineth week of its operations,” he explained.