Home / Maritime / Customs FOU, Zone ‘A’ nets N783.65M on Seizures

Customs FOU, Zone ‘A’ nets N783.65M on Seizures

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos led by Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba cannot stop the unending onslaught against dubious Clearing agents with their Importers as FOU, Zone ‘A’ will continue to frustrate their illegal activities.

Mohammed Garba, Controller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, appears to have entered into the bad book of importers with their clearing agents and officers at the ports and the land border areas in the south west geo-political region. This is because of his continuous exposition of the rot and gross inefficiency of the Customs officers at the ports and the border stations over their inability to control what goes out.

Since Mohammed Garba assumed office as the Controller of FOU, Zone A, smugglers and perpetrators of unlawful importation into the country have never had it so bad in their business where released and exited cargoes or truck -laden goods end up at the Federal Operations , Zone , A, for another round of clearing on the trump up charge of under declaration, wrong Classification and Concealment. The seizures may have forced smugglers and perpetrators to see Garba, the FOU, Zone A, Customs boss as an enemy who is all out to kill their business while some dubious officers see him as one working to end their career in Customs.

Garba had justified the close watch at the activities at the ports and the land border areas to the mandate given to him to curb smuggling and block areas of revenue leakages. He disclosed that the Command through its anti-smuggling drive has somewhat succeeded in blocking area of revenue leakage of other area Commands .

Between, August 9 and 25, the Command was said to have recovered N252.17 million from duty payments and Demand Invoices on general goods taken delivery by agents who tried to cheat the government at the seaports, airport and land border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value and under payment of import duty. This is in addition to N303.261 million revenue generated from intercepted Contrabands ranging from rice, poultry products, India Hemp, medicaments , used tyres, and various merchandise. This brings the cumulative revenue generated within the period to N783.65 Million.

The seized India Hemp and the medicaments, according to the FOU, Zone A, Customs boss had been handed over to the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, NAFDAC for further Investigation.

Perhaps one major interception by the Command anti-smuggling officers that gladdens Garba’s mind is the interception of 27 assorted vehicles with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N228.22 million. He confirmed that the vehicles which fell into the waiting hands of his men were smuggled into the country through the land border.

He disclosed that five of the vehicles had been seized outright in accordance with the Customs and Excise Management Act, CT while 22 are still been detained. The detained and seized vehicles which were smuggled into the country include Toyota Prado Jeep, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Highlander, Mercedes Benz among others.

“For avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government policies banning the importation of rice and vehicles through the land borders are still in force.“And the Nigerian Custom Service still remains tenacious in its determination to enforce these policies”, the FOU Boss stated,by tasking the media to continue to enlighten Nigerians, particularly as we enter the ’ember months’, with their attendant boost in economic activities and boom.

Garba added that the command’s success in prosecuting its anti smuggling battle is being made possible by the full support it enjoys from the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) and the entire Management team of the Nigeria Customs Service, who according to him has equipped and motivated the customs personnel to bring out the best in them.

He also frowned at the die hard persistence of smugglers and dubious Importers in the face of unrelenting and uncompromising customs enforcement and prosecution. He assured that officers and men of the service with the continued support and motivation of the Comptroller-General are now fully equipped, better informed and trained to meet challenges thrown up by the excesses of the smugglers, adding that the NCS would continue to fashion out result oriented strategies and systems that would make smuggling a thing of the past in the country.

He condemned the vice of smuggling as an act that directly attacks the nation’s economy, promote joblessness and enrich other countries and smugglers who do not mean well for Nigeria.

Compt. Garba sent a warning message to smugglers wishing to use South west zone to desist from such illegal trade as his men are well equipped with all necessary arsenal to crippled smugglers and send them out of their illegitimate businesses. “He urge all compliant traders not to exercise fear while embarking on their legitimate businesses but to be honest in their declarations because as one of the enforcement agencies of government, they will continue to work towards supporting compliance with all extant laws governing imports and exports in Nigeria and advised agents and Importers to stop raising false alarm, but ensure that their members do genuine declaration to stop having problem with his men .

By : GRASSROOTS PUBLISHERS

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