The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ‘smuggling

  • ‘Ivory Coast may lose quatum of cocoa to smuggling’

    Ivory Coast’s cocoa regulator forecast the nation may lose a fifth of its cocoa crop to smuggling during the next harvest if neighboring Ghana refuses to cut payments to farmers after international prices fell, according to a person familiar with the matter.

    The prediction by Le Conseil du Cafe-Cacao comes after the world’s biggest cocoa producer cut farmers’ pay by 36 percent to the equivalent of about 700,000 CFA francs ($1,251) per metric ton in April to cope with global prices that dropped more than a third in a year on expectations of oversupply. Ghana, the second-biggest grower, has kept farmer payments at the equivalent of 7,600 cedis ($1,708) per ton since October and has ruled out any cuts for the main harvest that starts next month. Cocoa is harvested twice a year in West Africa.

    The Ivorian regulator expects losses of as much as 400,000 tons of cocoa next season, said the person, who asked not to be identified because he’s not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. One of the nation’s biggest exporters has a similar forecast, according to a separate person familiar with the matter.

    Ivory Coast President, Alassane Ouattara conveyed his concern about the pay discrepancy to his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Addo, according to two other people familiar with the matter.

  • Rice millers back war against smuggling

    The Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) has promised to provide information to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to curb the smuggling the product.

    The association will also support the Federal Government’s value chain programme on local rice cultivation, milling, processing, and production.

    Its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Mr. Peter Dharma, made these pledges in Kano, at the association’s inaugural meeting.

    Noting that Nigerians had, over the years, been losing enormous resources to the smuggling of food items into the country, he said “Our association will work closely with the regulatory and policy makers to ensure standards in local rice milling.”

    He also stated that the association would support research into renewable energy source, which, he said, RIMAN will recommend to its members in the near future.

    Speaking on the occasion, NCS Area Commander Mr. Yusuf Abba hailed RIMAN’s plan, noting that it would yield benefits to the country.

    Abba, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller, Enforcement, Mr. Ago Hyacinth, said smugglers should no longer be allowed to sabotage the economy.

    A director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mallam Muhammed Munir, said the Federal Government’s injection of money into the sector would facilitate employment for citizens.

    The association at the inaugural meeting discussed the various issues on rice production in the country.

  • Customs signs MoU with rice farmers to curb smuggling

    The Nigeria Customs Service and the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to stop rice smuggling through land border into the country.

    Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, President Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), gave this hint during an interview in Abuja at the weekend.

    He said even though the importation of rice through the land borders was banned since April 2016 with an extension to the restriction of rice into the Nigerian market from the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), yet smugglers still engaged in the unwholesome act.

    Goronyo warned Nigerians against the consumption of foreign rice, saying that most of the imported rice is stale and only meant for animal and fish feeds.

    He said result of test by NAFDAC through some samples of some of the rice seizures had ascertained that smuggled rice through the land borders was unfit for human consumption.

    “99 per cent of rice smuggled through the land borders are not fit for human consumption,” he said.

    Goronyo said that the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), reiterated recently at a joint meeting with RIFAN and Customs that rice importation remain banned through the land borders.

    The RIFAN President said to ensure effective monitoring of the land borders, the Comptroller-General has approved a 12-man implementation committee to be headed by Assistant Comptroller-General, Alino Dangaladima.

    He said that the Comptroller-General agreed that there was need for total ban on rice importation and effective monitoring of the land borders to stop the activities of the smugglers.

    The RIFAN president added that the customs boss reinstated that any attempt to import rice through the land borders would be resisted, saying the position remain unchanged.

    He said the customs told them that it had deployed more officers and men to borders to enforce the order.

    According to him, customs had also re-organised its anti-smuggling patrols to provide additional capability, to enforce the ban of rice import through the land borders.

    Goronyo said that the annual rice production in Nigeria has increased from 5.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2017.

  • Rice smuggling: FG threatens to shut land borders

    Rice smuggling: FG threatens to shut land borders

    The Federal Government has threatened to shut some land borders if the smuggling of rice continues from neighbouring countries.

    Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, gave the warning while speaking to newsmen on some of the Federal Government’s achievements in the agriculture sector in the last two years in Abuja.

    Ogbeh said the decision had become necessary to encourage local rice farmers and to enable the country achieve self-sufficiency in rice by 2018.

    “We believe they are determined to sabotage the efforts that we are making to guarantee self-sufficiency in rice and to save foreign exchange which we don’t have.

    “They insist on bringing in rice through the land borders, avoiding the duties and the levies we put on them and they are definitely bent on sabotaging our efforts and we are getting increasingly unhappy with them.

    “And I must say that very soon, if they persist, we will take very nasty measures against them.

    “We will like to advise our neighbours, who believe that the ECOWAS treaty means that Nigeria is a volunteer nation for economic suicide.

    “We have no such plans, destroying our own economy to make any neighbour happy.

    “The ECOWAS treaty number two  does not suggest that any country can be an avenue of smuggling foreign goods not produced in that country for dumping in his neighbours territory.

    “If they insist, I do not think that government is far away from considering permanently closing certain borders very near us and when we do, nothing will make us change our minds on the issue, ECOWAS treaty or not,’’ Ogbeh warned.

    The minister said that the importation of rice reduced from 580,000 tonnes in 2015 to 58,000 tonnes by 2016.

    According to him, by the end of this year, we will eliminate the difference because more people are growing rice in the country.

    He said the Federal Government would distribute no fewer than 200 rice mills to millers across the states of the federation to encourage fresh milling of locally produced rice in order to make them more palatable than the imported ones.

    Ogbeh said the move would save about five million dollars for the country daily when achieved.

    According to the minister, about three months ago, there was this cry about Nigeria going to starve and we told them that there will be such thing.

    “We have never produced as much grains as we did in the last two years in this country’s’ history.

    “We have fed not only Nigeria, we have fed West Africa and there are still thousands of tonnes in people’s warehouses.

    “Those who bought grains and stored believing that starvation was near and they will make a killing they are now begging us to take off the grains from them because they are getting stock.

    “The only shortfall we have is maize because of the disease called the armyworm.

    “We are dealing with that and this planting season, we are going to support farmers to make sure that we bring that disease under control.

    “We have done amazing things in agriculture in two years, we are still going,’’ Ogbeh said.

    The minister said the government was working toward achieving self sufficiency in staples within the next two years excluding wheat.

    He said that government’s ambition was that in five to six years from now, Nigeria should be able to earn between N10 to N30 billion from exportation of agricultural produce annually to service the country’s debts and build a robust foreign reserves.

     

  • Army warns Borno residents against smuggling fish

    Army warns Borno residents against smuggling fish

    THE Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East, has warned Borno residents against smuggling of fish from the Lake Chad Area of the state. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, gave the warning on Friday in Maiduguri in a statement issued to to newsmen. “It has been observed that following the re-opening of Maiduguri- Monguno-Baga Road, the illicit act of fish smuggling has been on the increase.

    “Unfortunately most of the fish or its proceeds end up in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents, thus providing logistics replenishment for the insurgents. “In view of this untoward development, the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole wishes to remind the general public that the ban on transportation of fish in commercial quantity along the aforementioned route is still very much in force. “Defaulters will be arrested and sanctioned. “Only subsistence fishing for the consumption of inhabitants is permitted,” the statement said.

  • Customs urges Nigerians to see smuggling as a crime

    Customs urges Nigerians to see smuggling as a crime

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has urged Nigerians to see smuggling as a crime and support it to succeed in the war against smugglers.

    Mr Joseph Attah, Public Relations Officer of the Service, made the sppeal while addresding the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    He said that the service anti-smuggling strategy was yielding positive dividend, adding that in the past three months, the service had seized 136,506 bags of rice.

    “All Nigerians should see smuggling as a crime so that they will support the service to succeed in our ongoing war against smugglers.

    “Seeing smuggling as a crime means that you will be willing to give creditable information that will help us succeed.

    “As villagers that live around border line, they should be willing to support customs officers whenever they make seizures and they are encountering some difficulties, rather than supporting the smugglers against customs

    ” In Nigeria when a thief is arrested or an armed robber is arrested, you hardly get to see people going to beg for them.

    “But today when a smuggler is arrested you see Nigerians,  including some respected ones in our society, coming to beg for such persons to be released because they don’t see smuggling as a crime; they see it as a trade,’’ Attah said.

    He said that some Nigerians often times accused the NCS of not doing enough in its service delivery.

    He said it was wrong for people to think that  a smuggler could only be successful when supported in active connivance by customs officers.

    According to him, smugglers now take advantage of the porous borders, adding that oftentimes  they are supported by villagers at the border line and unpatronic well to do individuals in carryiny out their smuggling activities.

    ” NCS cannot 100 per cent vouch for its officers like any other human organisation; it is totally wrong to suggest that every criminal activity must be with the connivance of
    an operative,” he added.

    Attah said that the service would remain focused on its statutory function of enforcing government polices rather than being distracted by the blame game

    ” In our continuous efforts to suppress smuggling, information, suggestions that can help the service to perform better are welcome from well meaning individuals or organisation.”

  • Nigerian, two Chinese held for elephant tusk smuggling

    Nigerian, two Chinese held for elephant tusk smuggling

    Two Chinese and a Nigerian arrested for alleged smuggling of elephant tusks have been arraigned before a Federal High Court, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said yesterday.

    Shu Xiang Quan, Wu Sheng He and Ugochukwu Frank were arrested on December 23 and arraigned before Justice Mohammed Hassan of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on December 29 on a four-count charge.

    NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mr Jerry Attah said the suspects’ arrest followed intensified anti-smuggling campaign/ operations.

    Attah said the unit raked in N1.3 billion last month.

    He said items seized included raw hide/skin, elephant tusks, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp and general merchandise.

    The seized tusks and unprocessed animal skin, he said, would be handed over to the Nigeria Environment Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

    The unit, Attah said, intercepted contraband with a duty paid value of N893, 873,250 and recovered N494,416,975 in duty payments and demand notices on attempted smuggled vehicles and other general goods.

    He said: “This huge recovery in the history of the unit just in one month is attributed to the leadership by example and motivation the comptroller gave to the officers and men of the Unit when he assumed duty and some appreciable compliance levels of some patriotic Nigerians who voluntarily paid appropriate duties on their goods and vehicles before the deadline on the ban of vehicles through the land borders.”

    Attah quoted the Area Controller, Haruna Mamudu, as praising officers of the unit for battling smuggling and enhancing trade facilitation towards sustaining best international standards.

    “You will recall that part of the responsibility of the Federal Operations Unit is to enforce different international protocols and conventions that have continued to increase the responsibilities of the Nigeria Customs Service most especially in area of trade facilitation.  Notably, Controller Mamudu said that the United Nations chatter on preservation of endangers species entails that Customs Administrations globally protect wild life by intercepting illegal trade on such animals,” he said.

     

  • Customs adopts community-based approach to combat smuggling

    Customs adopts community-based approach to combat smuggling

    The Niger Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said on Friday that it had adopted a community-based approach in the fight against smuggling in the areas.

    Alhaji Garba Kabir, the Area Comptroller of the zone comprising Niger, Kogi and Kwara, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna.

    Kabir said that the approach would enable residents, especially those at the border areas, to offer intelligence reports that could aid the command apprehend those involved in the illegal businesses.

    He explained that sensitive security measures had been put in place to frustrate the activities of smugglers.

    He said identified smugglers’ routes had been placed on strict surveillance while community leaders would be used to provide information to ensure their arrest.

    The area comptroller said officers in the border areas had been briefed on how the partnership would assist them in arresting smugglers.

    “We have deployed various strategies to enable us to get vital information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of smugglers,” he said.

    “My area of jurisdiction is a no-go area for smugglers as competent and dedicated officers are battle ready to carry out their constitutional responsibilities effectively,” he said.

    He warned that the service would not spare any arrested smugglers and urged officers and men of the service to rededicate themselves to duty.

  • Smuggling threatens rice production sufficiency

    Smuggling threatens rice production sufficiency

    Nigeria’s bid to be self-sufficient in rice production is being threatened by smugglers, The Nation has learnt.

    Lagos and Ogun states are flooded with smuggled rice daily. From Idi-Iroko to Owode, Alapoti, Atan and Sango Ota, all in Ogun State, smugglers are using bush paths to smuggle the commodity.

    The smugglers, Idi-Iroko border sources said, are cashing in on the high price of the item, which is Nigeria’s staple food, to smuggle the item.

    Many of the smugglers, it was gathered, are smiling to the banks with their huge financial returns.

    The illicit rice business, investigation revealed, is booming because the Federal Government has discouraged rice importation through the land borders, while it is alleged that   some Customs officers are conniving with the smugglers.

    Investigation revealed that the smuggled rice is kept on top of motor cycles, passenger buses and specially refurbished vehicles heading for Lagos, Ifo and Sango area of Ogun State.

    A rice trader at the popular Lusada Market in Ado-Odo Ota area of Ogun state, who refused to give her name, narrated the reason they are dealing on imported rice from Cotonou.

    “I lost a lot of money when the vehicle bringing my rice to Lagos was impounded by Customs in April along Seme border. The period was a very bad one to me. But in June, my friend introduced me to a man who will help me in the rice business through the Ado-Odo area and I decided to try it. “My experience is that there is not much Customs attention on rice in this area, and the profit we make is higher.

    “If you use Seme axis, the highest profit anybody can make on rice is between N200 and N250 per 50kg bag, while we make between N1,000 and N1,350 on 50kg bags of rice through Lusada area,” she said.

    She said rice is a staple food in the country and its demand is so high that ‘business people’ continue to travel long distances from inland towns and risk being arrested to smuggle rice into those axis.

    Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, she said men and women flock to Cotonou and other neighbouring countries to buy rice and smuggle them in mostly on Sundays.

    Investigation conducted by The Nation at the week-end revealed that there are no Customs cheek-points between Agbara and Atan and from Lusada to Alapoti and Ado-Odo Ota areas of Ogun State.

    Findings also revealed that there is no effective policing of all the paths leading to the border by Customs to check the menace.

    Customs investigation also revealed that a lot needs to be done  to track down the rice smugglers and stop their illicit business by embarking on effective border patrol as the smugglers are using various vehicles to bring the items to town.

  • ‘Rice smuggling is affecting economy’

    Stakeholders  have decried the high rate of rice smuggling, saying it is having downside effects on the  economy.

    The Federal Government, they said, was losing revenue because of this and called for increased survelliance to address the problem.

    In an interview with The Nation, Executive Director, Nigeria Agriculture Development Watch, Johnson Idowu, said the development has resulted in loss of revenues and jobs at the nation’s seaports  in recent times, while neighbouring countries, such as Niger, Benin Republic, and Cameroon through which the criminal activity is perpetrated are better for it.

    He said the only reason there is increased rice importation in these countries is because they have favourable tariff and policy for rice importation.

    He said the countries are not rice producers, and must be investigated to unravel the secret behind the smuggling of the produce into Nigeria.

    Coordinator of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Emmanuel Ijewere, said the story of  smuggling of rice in Nigeria is historical because it has been going on for a very long time and has destroyed the country’s industries.

    “Because it has destroyed our local industries and the kind of story we are hearing now that the business of smuggling of rice has increased is a bad omen and to the Nigeria customs in particular. Should we destroy our industries and provide job for our neighbouring countries or provide job for our own people in Nigeria?’’ he asked.