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Tag: Nigerian Customs Service

  • Another 470 rifles seized at Lagos port

    Another 470 rifles seized at Lagos port

    The Nigerian Customs Service on Thursday seized another 470 rifles at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

    The Comptroller –General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali, who disclosed this to journalists, said the Federal Government would engage the Turkish government over spate of illegal importation of dangerous weapons from the Middle East nation to Nigeria.

    He said a meeting between the leadership of Customs and the Turkish Ambassador in Nigeria, has been fixed for Friday as part of efforts to fish out those directly or indirectly connected with the dangerous importation.

    He said the new container belongs to the same importer of the 1,100 rifles seized few days ago at the port.

    “The Customs’ leadership was sad because despite their previous efforts, our officers at the Tin-Island port had intercepted another 470 rifles shipped into the country from Turkey.

    “The importer of this deadly cargo was Great James Oil and Gas Limited, while the vessel MV Arkas Africa owned by Hull Blyth was used in the illegal shipment of the guns into the country,” the Customs Comptroller General said.

    According to Ali, the importer used the elbow plumbing plastic he declared in his Bill of Lading as a decoy to deceive the Service before the container No. CMAU189817/8 was subjected to 100 per cent examination by officers.

    He said Customs officers discovered that the guns were concealed in a 20-foot container.

    The guns were seized by the Area Controller, Tin-Can Island Command, Mr. Bashar Yusuf.

     

     

  • 43 win Customs e-auction cars

    43 win Customs e-auction cars

    Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on Monday disclosed that 43 out of the 68 people who bid for cars through its e-auction platform, have emerged winners.

    The Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, who made this known in a statement added that “282 people registered, 268 were enabled with 245 able to generate e-wallet assessment. Out of 177 that recharged their e-wallets, 68 bided and 43 emerged as winners.”

    On the challenges faced by some individuals in recharging their e-wallet, the statement explained that “all the 23 Customs duty collecting banks were carried along, properly trained in the process, however, upon launch of the platform,” only Jaiz Bank was discovered to be ready and active on the platform.

    The statement also disclosed that upon the various complaints received by customs, the Service immediately wrote a letter to all the designated banks requesting them to “integrate with the e-auction application for the recharging of e-wallet” on the 3rd July 2017. The service has also contacted the Central bank of Nigeria to confirm the readiness of commercial banks to perform their roles in ensuring a hitch-free exercise.

    While looking forward to seeing more banks hook to the platform and ease the process for bidders, the Nigerian customs assured the general public of the service determination to ensure that the e- auction is transparent and accountable.

    According to the statement, The Service resolves it is motivated by the core benefits of generating more revenue for the Federal Government while providing equal opportunities to all Nigerians.

    The second round of bidding is expected to commence on the 10th of July 2017 and will stop at 12noon on Wednesday 12th July 2017.

  • Troops to begin solidarity march for democracy across Nigeria – DHQ

    Troops to begin solidarity march for democracy across Nigeria – DHQ

    There would be movements of troops across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, in support of the nation’s constitution and democracy, the Defence Headquarters announced Thursday.

    The march for democracy according to the Director of Defence Information, Major Gen John Enenche, would involve the Nigerian Army, The Nigerian Air Force, The Nigerian Navy, The Nigerian Police Force, The Brigade of Guards, The Department of States Security, DSS, The National Intelligency Agency, The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC).

    Others are the Nigerian Customs Service, The Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Prisons Service, the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the Federal Fire Service.

    The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA would not be left out in the march which Major Gen. Enenche, said would hold quarterly henceforth.

    Enenche however did not mention whether the march was in response to the tension generated in the polity following the alert sounded by the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Tukur Buratai that some civilians were approaching soldiers for selfish political interests, nor was it in response to the quit notice given to the Igbo ethnic group by the Arewa Youth Forum.

    Major Gen. Enenche who addressed journalists as the Chairman of the Forum of Security and Response Agencies, noted that the movement of troops throughout Nigeria would begin on 1st of July.

    Supported at the briefing by the Spokespersons of all the aforementioned agencies, Major Gen. Enenche added that the march was not just for physical fitness of members of Security and Response Agencies, but also for upholding the constitution of the country.

    Asked whether the march was in response to hate speeches that have been generating tension in the polity, Gen Enenche said no.

    He maintained that it is a corporate excersize meant to foster interaction and good understanding among the Security and Response Agencies, especially in the face of comtemporary security challenges in the country.

    Gen. Enenche said the exercize tagged “Together We Are” would be conducted on quartely basis and the slogan would be Together We Are: Protecting Lives and Property,  Ensuring Unity and Progress,  Supporting Democracy,  Upholding the Constitution, and Defending National Interests.

    Although Gen. Enenche did not disclose the routes of the solidarity march for security reasons, he however said there was no need for panic regarding the exersize.

    His words “The physical fitness of members of the Security and Response Agencies is germaine to the effectiveness of its members, especially in the face of contemporary security challenges in the Country. In the same vein, group interaction through an exercise such as route march is an enhancer of espirit de corps and harmony among members of the Security and Response Agencies.

    “It is in view of these, that a Route March Exercise titled “TOGETHER WE ARE” is to be conducted on quarterly basis involving the Military, Para Military and Security Responses Agencies in Nigeria. The slogan for the Exercise is: ”TOGETHER WE ARE ”

    a. Protecting Lives and Property.  b. Ensuring Unity and Progress.  c. Supporting Democracy.  d. Upholding the Constitution.  e. Defending National Interests.

    “Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Long Live the Security Agencies.

    ” The maiden “TOGETHER WE ARE” route march exercise will take place across the Nation on 1st July 2017. The general public is hereby notified that there will be movement of troops and other security agencies in the course of this exercise.

    ” Your cooperation and understanding is highly solicited. Be rest assured that; Together we, as members of the Security and Response Agencies in Nigeria are always there to; Protect  Lives and Property; Ensure Unity and Progress, Support Democracy, Uphold the Constitution and Defend our National interests. ”

    Gen. Enenche appealled to the media to assist in passing the right message across to Nigerians, saying at this period in the nation’s history we should be working together for the peace, progress and stability of the country.

  • Customs destroys seized poultry products worth N14m in Edo

    Customs destroys seized poultry products worth N14m in Edo

    The Nigerian Customs Service on Sunday in Benin destroyed seized imported poultry products worth N14 million.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the poultry products were packed in 2, 750 cartons and were conveyed by a Dangote truck with registration number XC 449 GML when it was apprehended.

    NAN also reports that the consignment was intercepted by the Comptroller General of Customs compliance team lead by the Officer in Charge of zone ‘C’, Assistant Comptroller Musa Oseni on Friday.

    Supervising the destruction, the National Coordinator of the Comptroller General’s compliance team, Comptroller of Customs Ahmed Azarema said that the exercise was in line with the Federal Government directive on banned importation of poultry products.

    Azarema said that the directive must be enforced and urged all to educate the members of the public to do legal businesses and not contraband.

    The National Coordinator also inspected three seized trucks containing 640 bags of foreign rice, 1,147 cartons of unauthorised and unverified drugs and three automobiles and automobile spare parts.

    He disclosed that the trucks were seized on May 17th, 5th and 3rd, adding that the items would be auctioned according to law within the shortest time.

  • Reps grill Customs CG over revenue drop

    Reps grill Customs CG over revenue drop

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday frowned at the inability of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to meet its 2016 revenue target of N937.3b.

    The Customs only generated N720.7 billion (76.89 percent) of the target between January and December 2016.

    The lawmakers questioned the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), on the N216.5 billion (23.11 percent) dip in target for the year.

    But the Customs is targeting N772.8billion revenue for 2017 which is lower by N164.45b or 17.54 percent compared to 2016.

    Ali, who appeared before the James Faleke-led House Committee on Customs in his usual white caftan, was also questioned on the rationale behind the ban on vehicles through land borders.

    Ali said vehicle importation through land borders was injurious to the nation’s growth, adding that the country’s next door neighbour, Benin Republic, was the sole beneficiary.

    He said: “99.9 percent of cars imported into Benin, always ended up in Nigeria through smuggling and other illegal activities on the land borders.
    “Why should we be growing the economy of another country when our own is facing challenges?

    “That is the point that we have been making. That cars from Benin will come to Nigeria after they have collected their import duties over there.”

    The committee wondered why officials of the Customs were not targeted for punishment for complicity in illegal importation of vehicles.
    “You can improve on your activities at the borders.

    “The borders serve some economic benefits for the locals and you must find a way to strengthen your own operations, not a wholesale ban on vehicle importation,” the committee noted.

  • Customs redeploy 48 officers

    Customs redeploy 48 officers

    In an ongoing reform at the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), The Controller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) has approved the redeployment of some controllers of customs.

    This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by The NCS Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah.

    According to the statement, in a major re-jigging of the Service for effective and efficient service delivery, the Comptroller-General of Customs approved the redeployment of 48 Comptrollers of the service. 

    It also revealed that some of the officers who have been moved includes:Comptroller Madugu, M.J from Sokoto/Kebbi/Zamfara to Ogun Command, Comptroller Udo-aka, E.A from Investigation to Oyo/Osun Command and Compt. Isiyaku, K from Tariff and Trade to Port Harcourt 1 among others. 

    According to the statement, the Comptroller-General’s Compliance team has been disbanded and a new team reconstituted. The new Compliance team is divided into three. Team A for Western Axis, B for Northern axis and C for Eastern axis. They are to complement the Federal Operations Units in order to vigorously crackdown on all forms of smuggling activities nationwide with particular focus on the enforcement of non-importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders.

    The new CGC’s Compliance team will be coordinated by Comptroller Azarema, A.A who before now has been the Comptroller License and Permit at the NCS HQ. The Axis will be led by Assistant Comptrollers of Customs.

    While calling on relevant stake holders to support the service by being compliant, the CGC expressed his determination to strategically re-position the Service as a crucial contributor to the success story of the nation,he added that all revenues must be collected, leaving no room for leakages. 

  • Senate probes banks over N30tr foreign exchange manipulation

    Senate probes banks over N30tr foreign exchange manipulation

    The Senate Wednesday launched investigation into alleged foreign exchange allocation manipulation involving over N30 trillion.
    Many banks operating in the country were fingered in the deal said to have been perpetrated between 2006 and 2017.
    The banks were specifically queried over alleged manipulation and connivance with importers to defraud the country of huge sums of money.
    The investigation followed Senate mandate to its Committee on Customs and Excise to probe and identify revenue leakages and malpractices in the import and export chain.
    Chairman of the committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma who invited chief executives of banks handed them bulky documents detailing the amount of foreign exchange they received on behalf their importer customers.
    Uzondinma gave the banks three weeks to furnish the committee with details of the utilization of the foreign exchange they bought on behalf of their customers.
    He noted that preliminary investigation by the committee showed malpractices ranging from unutilised Form M, abandoned Form M, partially utilised Form M, abandoned assessments of Custom duties and foreign exchange allocation manipulation.
    Uzodinma said, “You recall Senate that in plenary mandated this committee to investigate and identify areas of revenue leakages in the entire import and export circle.
    “The committee started investigation and took time to enter into the import and export value chain and identified supposedly areas of leakages and malpractices, ranging from unutilised Form M, abandoned Form M, partially utilised Form M, abandoned assessments of Custom Duties and foreign exchange allocation manipulation.
    “We have been able to also go into the database of the operating system in the Nigerian Customs Service. We identified Form M by Form M, import by import, vessel by vessel, liabilities of importers and commercial banks that are yet to be handled.
    “We are talking about monies in the regions of over N30trillion. We have been able to give all this information to the various banks who purchased foreign exchange on behalf of the importers to go home and come back to show us evidence of utilisation of the forex.
    Failure of the banks to give evidence of utilization they will be compelled to refund the foreign exchange they bought from Central Bank of Nigeria or inter-bank, purposely to be used for import.
    “What we are saying in essence is that the amount of foreign exchange government is giving out to commercial banks and importers for the purposes of importation are not being utilised as agreed.
    “This is making foreign exchange scarce in the market. In essence making the foreign exchange that government is giving to importers not to be tied to activities of importation.
    “So, we don’t see this as a healthy development because in the process, some Asian companies are now round-tripping, sending monies that they don’t deserve out of this country without due process.
    “I’m sure that by the time we conclude this investigation and action plan that we set out to implement, I can tell you that the exchange rate will come down drastically because only genuine importers will now enjoy government forex allocation.”
    On the banks involved, Uzodinma said that no bank is exempted.
    He said, “All the banks are involved; the banks that are dead and the ones living. The ones that are no more operating were acquired by some banks. So, the activities of those that are no longer in operation we have been able to tie them to those that acquired them as part of the liabilities. Of course, we will expect that most of the banks that acquired these banks must have carried due diligence on them.”

    On why banks alone were fingered in the deal, Uzodinma said that the Foreign Exchange Utilisation Manual prepared by the Central Bank as a regulation guiding import and export entrusted commercial banks quantum of responsibilities.
    He explained that banks purchase money on behalf of the importers.
    “So, once you are acting on behalf of somebody the offence or the inaction of that person is your own inaction. We are now calling the banks because they are supposed to be the gateway for us to enter into the stream.
    “So, by the time the banks who must have carried out Know Your Customer programme, they know the addresses, the places of these importers and they are the people that opened Form M for them.
    “They are the people that purchased foreign exchange for them. The regulation requires them to monitor to ensure that these importers pay the correct custom duties on the importation. Also, there is what we call Bills for Collection.  It is the responsibility of the banks to know, ascertain and confirm that the documents sent as Bill for Collection that will warrant the release of the forex to the exporter are genuine. It is contained in the manual,” he said.
    Uzodinma said that Minister of Finance, CBN governor, Minister of National Planning and Comptroller General of Customs have been invited to appear at the next sitting of the committee on the issue.

  • Supreme Court voids Customs chief’s sack

    The Supreme Court has set aside the compulsory retirement of Comptroller Abdukkahi Gusau from the service of the Nigerian Customs Service (NGS).

    The court, in a unanimous judgment by a five-man panel, ordered the immediate reinstatement of Gusau, who was retired on December 21, 2009 by Customs authorities allegedly on the directive of the then Minister of Finance.

  • Senate probes FIRS, NPA, others over alleged misuse of funds

    Senate probes FIRS, NPA, others over alleged misuse of funds

    The Senate Tuesday resolved to investigate alleged misuse, under remittance and other fraudulent practices in the collection and accounting of internally generated revenue by revenue generating agencies.

    The investigation, the Senate agreed, will cover all revenue generating agencies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Customs Service and others from 2012 to 2016.

    The resolution followed the adoption of a motion which prayed the upper chamber to “constitute a high powered ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged misuse, under remittance/non remittance and other fraudulent practices in the collection, accounting, remittance and expenditure of internally generated revenue by all revenue generating agencies of government from 2012 to 2016.”

    A six-member panel of investigators to be headed by Senator Solomon Adeola, (Lagos West) was mandated to submit its report to Senate in plenary in six weeks.

    Senator Adeola who sponsored the motion in his lead debate noted that Section 80,subsection 1-4 of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly stipulated that all revenue, moneys raised or received shall be paid into and form on consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

    He further noted that the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 was enacted to ensure transparency, accountability and prevent corrupt practices in relation to public revenues and expenditure.

    The Lagos West lawmaker said that he is aware that Section 21 -23 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 clearly limited  corporations, agencies and government owned companies listed in the Schedule to the Act to the expenditure of only a fifth of its operating surplus with the balance paid to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.

    He expressed concern that the Acting Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission Mr. Victor Muruako on November 8, 2016 “raised the alarm over leakages in revenue and remittances which he said has assumed alarming proportion in the last 5 years with some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) producing two different statement of accounts in an attempt to manipulate their operating surpluses and losses.”

    Adeola said that he is also aware that at “the last National Economic Council meeting, the Federal Government specifically accused  revenue generating agencies of raising over N1.5 trillion and expending over 90 per cent on recurrent expenditure mostly in paying bloated salaries and controversial allowances above Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Committee, monetization of medical allowances, unapproved overseas travels, lavish training allowances and excessive personal loan approval all amounting to financial misconducts.

    He expressed worry that “these corporations, agencies and government owned companies have over the years grossly violated the letters of the 1999 Constitution and the Fiscal Responsibility Act in relation to their revenue generation activities and expenditure.”

    Adeola said that he is disturbed that various audit queries against the agencies over the years further indicated possible mismanagement of public funds against the spirit of the Constitution and Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    He noted that it is a matter of concern that in view of Federal Government dwindling revenue from the traditional crude oil sector and the on- going recession, “these government bodies are continuing in short changing government of needed revenue through various illegal practices.”

    He thereafter prayed the Senate to resolve to constitute a high powered ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged misuse, under remittance/non remittance and other fraudulent practices in the collection, accounting, remittance and expenditure of internally generated revenue by all revenue generating agencies of government from 2012 to 2016 and submit a report in six weeks.

    Adeola added that there was no doubt that all revenue generating agencies including the NPA, FIRS, Customs, have been misappropriating generated revenue.

    The agencies, he said, have largely ignored the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act that compelled them to remit all generated fund to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in his contribution noted that most Nigerians were concerned about how to share the cake without bothering about how to bake the cake.

    He said that it is time  for the Senate to take a second look at the law regulating activities of the revenue generating agencies to determine whether there was need to review the laws in order to bloc leakages.

    Ekweremadu said, “Every day we talk about how to share the cake but today we have the privilege and opportunity to discuss how to bake the cake and I think there is enough cake to go round except that we have a lot of leakages and some of these leakages were created by us.

    “I think that we must admit that when those laws were made they were made with the best of intentions but just as they say the road to hell is also made with the best of intentions. I believe that since they have been abused it is for all of us to look back and have a second look at those laws and ensure that they are appropriately amended or put appropriate measures to ensure that these leakages are fixed.”

    Senator Ahmed Lawan, in his contribution stressed the need for the Senate to do more and if possible to reduce the number of the agencies “because we don’t actually need all of them.”

    Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah said that issues raised in the motion should be given the seriousness they deserve in the interest of the country.

    Before the prayer to set up a committee to probe the alleged misuse of funds by agencies was unanimously adopted, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki underscored the importance of independent revenue to the economic health of the country.

    Saraki noted that if the Senate was able to block leakages in the agencies, it would help the funding and performance of the 2017 budget.

    Saraki said, “I want to join others in thanking Senator Solomon Adeola for this very important motion. As I keep on harming on our independent revenue and non-oil revenue is a very important area of our budget. This independent revenue is 37 percent; you remember last year it was almost N1.5 trillion and am being told now that this year is likely to come down to N500 billion because they could not meet the target.

    “Inability to meet the target is not that they don’t have the capacity to meet the target and there is too much abuse on this operating surpluses where people spend right up to the last naira in all. I think the best way forward as you said it would even help the 2017 budget if we address this issue in blocking this leakages and I believe that in constituting the ad-hoc committee we would just take the best hands and still bring people from finance and public accounts and capable people who would be able to address this.”