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Tag: Nigeria Custom Service

  • Customs seizes N71.7m smuggled items in Adamawa, Taraba

    Customs seizes N71.7m smuggled items in Adamawa, Taraba

    The Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has seized items valued at N71.7 million between August and September from suspected smugglers.

    The Custom Area Comptroller, Mr Garba Bashir, made this known yesterday in Yola while briefing newsmen on the anti-smuggling drive of the command in Yola.

    Bashir said the seized items include: 1,115 Jerry cans of 25 litres capacity each and 26 drums of 220 litres capacity each filled with petrol totaling 33,595 litres intended to be smuggled into the Republic of Cameroon.

    Other items listed by Bashir  added include three vehicles being use by the suspected smugglers, 200 bags of foreign flour, 50kg each, 57 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 50kg each and 10 bales of second-hand clothing.

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    “It is worthy to note that the PMS showcased here today were apprehended from various borderlines in Adamawa and Taraba states.

    “Items will be auctioned to the general public immediately due to its inflammable nature in accordance with NCS Act, 2023 and standard operating procedures”, Bashir said.

    He charged the officers to be vigilant and remain fully committed to the ongoing fight against all forms of smuggling activities within the confines of the Law.

  • Give me my son corpse for burial, widow tells Police

    A 49-year old widow, Mrs. Esther Umukoro, has cried out to the State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, to release the body of her late son for proper burial.
    Mrs. Esther said her son identified as Samson was killed last month during a protest against the Nigeria Custom Service at Ovbiogie village in Ovia North East local government area.
    Residents in the area had last month sacked the NCS station at the former Benin tollgate following the killing of a commercial driver who was carrying three bags of rice.
    A vehicle belonging to the NCS was set ablaze.
    Esther said her son was hit by an object from the vehicle when it exploded.
    She said her late son had gone to look for his younger sister who went to hawk plantain chips at the toll gate area when he was hit by an object from the burning vehicle.
    According to her, “I returned from the market where I went to hawk plantain chips and I ask Samson about the sister because of the riot.

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    “Samson said he was going to look to her. After some minutes, I saw people gathered around my house. They were just looking at me without saying anything.
    “It was a little boy that came to tell me that my son is dead. He is an apprentice and did not participate in the protest.
    “I have gone to the Ekiadolor Police Station and they keep telling me to go and come back. The police said they are still investigating. They said the Custom people said they are looking for their pistol.
    “All I want is to end my grief by burying my son. He is second to the last born.”
    Edo Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments.
  • ‘Seme customs command nets N701m in August’

    ‘Seme customs command nets N701m in August’

    The Nigeria Custom Service, Seme Command, said it collected N701million as revenue for the month of August.

    A statement released in Badagry on Monday by the customs command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Selchang Taupyen,  said that the command succeeded in collecting so much by blocking  all revenue leakages at the border.

    “In the month of August, the command generated the sum of N701,018, 536 million as revenue for the Federal Government.

    “The amount was N201, 364,081 million higher than the N499,654, 455 that was generated in July.

    “The command has deployed all strategies and has brought every professional dexterity to the fore in order to boost revenue generation at the border, despite the daunting challenges.

    “From January to date, the revenue figure has been dependent on the volume of importation through this corridor which has been limited by low economic activities in the area.

    “We are determined to generate more revenue as the year draws to a close and we are committed to achieving that,” Taupyen quoted the Comptroller of the command, Mr Mohammed Aliyu, as saying.

    He further said that 48 seizures by custom were made with a duty paid value of N32.8 million.

    He added that the customs seized 100 bags of 50kg fertiliser and 1,840 cartons containing mosquito coil, insecticide, soap, cream, second hand clothing and bags, among others.

    “The command’s anti-smuggling efforts have yielded the desired result in seizures of import prohibitions.

    “The seizures were made through intelligence-sharing among operational officers and most importantly, no casualties were recorded,” the PRO said.

    He advised members of the  public to desist from smuggling and engage in legitimate business.

  • Customs intercepts arms, ammunition at Lagos port

    Customs intercepts arms, ammunition at Lagos port

    The Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Tin-Can Island command, Tuesday intercepted arms and ammunitions concealed in a container and arrested a suspect.

    Speaking while handing over the contraband cargoes, NCS Area Comptroller, Mr. Yusuf Bashar said that the healthy collaboration amongst security agencies working in the command led to the interception.

    Bashar also said that the Customs will continue to synergise with all relevant government agencies to ensure the security and safety of the ports and border stations.

    The seized items included 980 rounds of live 9mm ammunitions, one Taurus pistol with number THX43606.

    Others included military ware, a pair of black boot, a military face cap, a pair of camouflage hand gloves and an army coloured plastic container.

    He added that the contents of the box were prohibited items not to be imported by any individual adding that these are material that can only be imported by the Army.

    “We believe that there must a sinister reason for the importation of the prohibited materials. There is a network of moving and distributing these arms and ammunition.”

    He said that the cargo was shipped from the United States were discovered in a one by forty foot container with number crhu452745/2.

    The suspect, the CAC said, was with the Directorate of the State Security Service ( DSSS) for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, the command generated a total of the N24.8billion last month of January, surpassing the figure of N20billion in January, 2015.

  • Ex-Naval officer bags four year jail term for aiding smuggling

    Ex-Naval officer bags four year jail term for aiding smuggling

    A dismissed Naval officer was on Thursday sentenced to four years imprison after pleading guilty to illegally escorting contraband from Seme Border to Lagos to evade customs duty.

    Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Oluwadamilola Olanipenikun of the Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ court found Amadu Usman guilty of impersonation, unlawful possession of Navy uniforms and using same to cheat for personal gains.

    “Based on your confessional statement and facts presented before the court, it has been proven that you deliberately and unlawfully kept the property of the Nigerian Navy for personal gains.

    “The law stipulates that even as a serving officer of the law, you must not use your position or uniform to cheat for personal gains.

    “The sentence is a total of four years imprisonment, that will be served consecutively, starting from today,” said Olanipekun.

    The prosecutor, Inspector William Ologun, had earlier told the court that Usman committed the offence on Oct 10, 2015.

    According to the prosecutor, Usman wore the complete uniform of an officer of the Nigerian Navy and deceitfully escorted vehicle carrying contraband goods from Seme to Lagos, to evade customs duties.

    “Usman was arrested at Costain area in Surulere, Lagos by members of the Police Anti-Extortion Patrol Unit on duty in the area, wearing complete uniform of the Nigerian Navy.

    “He confessed to have been dismissed from service in 2009, but had kept the uniform to make ends meet,” Ologun said.

    In his plea for mercy, Usman asked the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he had learned his lessons, having been in prison custody for the last three months.

  • Customs Service arrests passenger with $355,685 at airport

    The Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Thursday arrested an intending China bound passenger at the Lagos Airport with $355,685.

    According to the public relations officer of the Airport  command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mrs Thelma Williams , though the passenger identified as Okonkwo Onyeka Nonso with passport number A03515894 declared the said amount to the customs currency seat officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, but he could not explain the source of the currency.

    Williams explained that after customs officers at the airport physically counted the money, it was discovered to be three hundred and seventeen thousand and three hundred dollars ( $317,300), as against the earlier declaration of $355,685 by the passenger.

    The passenger and the said currency Williams said are still in the custody of the Customs , and will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) for further investigation.