[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS),has continued to strengthened its enforcement capacity to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the rage against smuggling in the Command.The Comptroller Michael Agbara led proactive team has continued to clampdown on unrepentant smugglers who are working for personal gains, to the detriment of our economy.
Compt. Michael Agbara, Controller, Ogun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, who by any matrix, can be called an anti-smuggling czar, has vowed not to relent in the national assignment of ridding the country of contraband items, describing smugglers as economic saboteurs who are bent on circumventing the law. Interestingly, he has an unending catalogue of seizures and arrests made within his Command.
He has always held on to the philosophy that you can never succeed as an anti-smuggling officer by mere saying smuggling is bad and smugglers are dangerous to our national economic growth. You must try to show example by fighting it head-on and putting your life on the line to show that you can die for this course. This anti-smuggling czar whose antecedents are record breaking at Idiroko Border Command, the Area Controller of the Ogun Customs Command, Micheal Agbara when it comes to customs operations wondered aloud that while a good number of well meaning Nigerians are appreciative of government efforts to rid the nation of corruption in all its ramifications, some smugglers are unrepentantly bent on circumventing the lofty mission for their selfish interest. A believer in optimum delivery wherever he serves. Compt. Micheal Agbara, enumerated the obvious consequences of smuggling to the nation’s economy and her citizenry especially when it has brought unspeakable grief and sorrows to those caught and members of their families. 
He described the seizures made by the eagle-eyed officers of the Command under the recently introduced new operational policy of the service led by Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), Comptroller General, NCS to maximize revenue generation for the nation and also ensure a stronger, more oriented, vibrant and efficient customs service as gallantry. While the government is putting all the necessary measures in place to sanitise the nation’s export market, Compt. Micheal Agbara appears to have found an answer to the rot at the land border stations in the south west geopolitical region. Compt. Micheal Agbara, who has shut the door against corrupt Customs officers,agents and smugglers has deployed fierce looking officers to the re-invigorated crack team of the Command.This proactive team had a rough battle with smugglers in its strive to clear the mess at the land border station.In the month of August,the Command intercepted and seized smuggled items with total duty paid value of N382,263,360 million.
The prohibited items include 33 vehicles,6,194 bags of foreign rice,395 kegs of vegetable oil, 1,954 pairs of used foot wears, 7 bales of second hand clothes,45 cartons of frozen poultry products, 340 kegs of PMS and 160 cartons of juice.
The Command also confiscated 6,194 bags of rice in August remained the highest monthly seizure, since the inception of federal government policy on agricultural development in the area of boosting local rice production.The Ogun Customs Command also within the same month, generated a total revenue of N799,682,839.62, which exceeded the target of N727,775,499.91, set for it, and the command equally participated in a joint operation, which has led to the seizure of large quantity of petroleum products in a creek at Ijoun area of Ogun State.
The Ogun Customs Command Customs boss cannot stop praising his proactive officers for the major seizures recorded by the command in the recent time. Compt .Michael Agbara, has matched his words with action going by the directive to his proactive eagle-eyed officers to work towards crippling smugglers and getting them out of the illegitimate business.We appeal to our proactive Compt. Michael Agbara, and his men not to relent in the national assignment of ridding the country of contraband items, describing smugglers as economic saboteurs who are bent on circumventing the law .
By: Grassroots Publishers