[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen the proactive Customs Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Compt. Muhammed Uba Garba declared  war on smugglers in south west zone , most people thought it was a mere joke of the year.The recent promise made by the Nigerian Army to collaborate with one another in anti-smuggling operations within the western region across the six states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun , Ekiti and Ondo, Smugglers in south west are in for more trouble.

The Army General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2nd Division, Ibadan,  Major General Fidelis Azinta,has agreed to collaborate with customs following repeated attacks by smugglers on Customs operatives,Azinta was said to have given his words that anytime Garba, the FOU, Zone ‘A’ Customs boss needs his support, he would not hesitate to deploy his officers immediately to the scene.

The Customs Comptroller may have been encouraged to embark on the visit to the GOC because of the recent blockade and attack on the Command Lagos Roving Team led by Okpabi Jack, a Chief Superintendent of Customs on operation in Ogbomosho town, Oyo state, to track rice smugglers. It was a fierce battle as the smugglers and their sympathizers did everything within their powers to frustrate the team from carrying away to their Lagos office their trucks load of rice.

Many believe that with the new found working relationship between the Army and the Customs, it would be very difficult for any Community harboring smugglers to mobilize to attack Customs operatives on duty and get away unhurt as the army has joined in the Campaign to forestall smuggling activities in the south west.

The FOU Zone ‘A’  Customs boss was also supposed to hold a close- door meeting with Abiodun Adekunle Odude, the state Commissioner of Police on how to collaborate to combat smuggling activities in the state but no luck. A source confirmed that Oyo is a smuggler’s haven.The source disclosed that virtually all the abandoned warehouses in Ibadan, the state Capital and its neighborhood which had been taken over by big time smugglers are filled to the brim with smuggled rice from the notorious border community. It was gathered that security operatives, knew much about the rice smuggling activities in the area but could do nothing about it.

An Ibadan based business man confirmed that it was from the warehouses that trucks were loaded with rice under tight security allegedly provided by the police to their various destinations in the south west excluding Lagos and Ogun states.

Garba was also said to have paid a visit to Christopher Odibu, the Comptroller , Oyo/Osun Command in Ibadam on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, who had been having a running battle with the smugglers in the area. Odibu had described Saki , as one of the notorious community in the state where smugglers operate. The Comptroller was said to have met with the paramount ruler of the Community seeking to establish Customs presence in the area to forestall the activities of the smugglers.

He was also said to have written the Oba, seeking to get a land within the community to build a Customs facility , in order to ensure a visible Customs presence at the area. He believes that if the Oba could give the nod for Customs to be given the land, it would go a long way to curtail the smuggling activities in the area but enhance trade facilitation and improved revenue collection for the government.

Investigation shows that there is no visible Customs presence at Saki Community , for now, aside from the Customs Flag, thus forcing the smugglers to go on a rampage in the illicit business, particularly the smuggling of rice from Cotonou port , in Republic of Benin to Nigeria unchallenged.

More worrisome is that there is no good road to the Saki border Community which had made it difficult for Customs operatives to patrol the area freely to forestall smugglers. The Command , alone was said to have made 4,000 bags of rice in January alone , this year but that had not stopped the smugglers from the runs.

It is therefore , not surprising why Garba, the FOU, Zone ‘A’, Comptroller , acting on credible information recently deployed his men to the Oyo/Osun axis for operation. The operation was said to have yielded results. In the first operation, the Comptroller confirmed that eight trucks laden with 3,351 bags of rice and 669 jerry cans of vegetable oil were intercepted along Iseyin. In the second operation at Ogbomosho, home town of Adebayo Alao-Akala, a former governor of Oyo state,1253 bags of rice, 50Kg each was evacuated from a warehouse in the town.

Those who think that the FOU, Zone ‘A’ Customs boss had come to stop smuggling completely in the south west would be disappointed. He had made it clear to those that care to listen that there is nowhere in the world where smuggling had be eradicated completely but could only be minimized, perhaps, this is what the Comptroller and his officers are working round the clock to achieve in the south west Geo-political region.

He maintained that as long as the ban on the importation of rice and vehicles through the land border by the government remains, smugglers would continue to live in fear. Appealing to Nigerians to support the government on the ban on the importation of foreign rice through the land border,he disclosed that it is the only ”to encourage local rice farmers, millers.

Prior to the all out war against the big rice smugglers in Oyo/Osun axis, the Command had detained and seized 16 assorted vehicles ranging from Lexus Jeep, Rolls Royce, Lincoln Limousine, Toyota Camry, Toyota Rav4, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Tundra to Dodge, among others. The Comptroller confirmed that the vehicles are mostly 2016 and 2017 models.

Given an insider information, the Customs said six of the vehicles were intercepted along the Lekki-Epe Expressway but the remaining 10 were intercepted while on information patrol at various locations. ” Some of the vehicles , according to the Comptroller are still on detention in the Command.

Source : Grassroots Publishers

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Mohammed Uba Garba is not an ordinary Customs officer. As the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, he has enormous roles and responsibilities on his shoulders.

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, Lagos led by Compt. Uba Garba cannot stop the unending onslaught against smugglers and dubious Importers as he vow to frustrate all their illegal activities. Compt. Mohammed Garba, 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.

Leading the warlords of the anti-smuggling battles is Comptroller Mohammed UbaGarba, who is fully in charge and dishing out strategies to combat the ever antics evolving smugglers in the zone. On assumption of duty, Comptroller Mohammed Uba promised a non-relenting war on the economic saboteurs. Infact,  he is the first Controller of the Unit in recent times who promised the media that on a monthly basis, he will call for a briefing to showcase his Command’s  anti-smuggling achievements. This he has kept since he assumed office. Comptroller Mohammed Uba also pleaded with Journalists to preach the gospel of repentance to smugglers, that, their activities is killing the economy. Compt. Uba has also blessed with season anti-smuggling officers like Deputy Comptroller DC. Yayaya, who heads the Enforcement Unit of the zone. CSC. Okpabi Jack who is O/C Lagos Roving Team among other proactive and die hard officers.

Interestingly, he has an unending catalogue of seizures and arrests made within his zone. 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 Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja 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 repentantly bent on circumventing the lofty mission for their selfish interest.

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has strengthened its enforcement capacity to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the rage against smuggling in the zone. Grassroots Publishers learnt that the Command is strengthening its operational capacity through the initiative of the proactive Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Mohammed Uba, since he took over the command, after his outstanding records of  enforcement at Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ Owerri. Uba is building on the performance of FOU, Zone ‘A’ in the areas of core Customs functions, with a view to stimulating economic growth and development. It could be recalled that in the first quarter of 2017, FOU Zone A, intercepted a deadly truck loaded with 661 pump action riffles, which attracted the attention of the whole country. In one on one interview with Grassroots Publishers at his FOU, Zone ‘A’ Customs Command office in Ikeja, Lagos, he spoke on the proactive activities of the command and successes made so far since he came on board.

Excerpts:

You are known as somebody that is ruthless with smugglers in your previous postings. Why is it that any smuggler who dares you always has a sour story to tell?

Yes, the first encounter I had with smugglers was when I was O/C Border Patrol in Jangali in Adamawa state. It is a Border town between Nigeria and Cameroun. It was tagged “The Battle of all Battles” where over 300 smugglers were smuggling petrol products. During the battle we were able to recover about 20 vehicles after a serious gun battle with smugglers. Secondly, was in Ogun state where we were in the office and our office was attacked by smugglers and hooligans. During the incident, my vehicle was burnt to ashes. These are two major ugly experiences I have encountered in this job. Others are mere threat through phone calls, messages and so on, if I refuse to compromise. But I am not deterred by these as they always serve as tools to successful delivery of my service to the nation.
I have principles and try by the grace of Allah to adhere strictly to them. Yes, it is one thing to stand for the truth always and work for your fatherland. It is a known fact that smuggling has done a very big blow to the economy of this country. For instance, allowing smuggled items to come into the country means that smugglers will not allow factories, industries and other local businesses to function well. Most of these local businesses and industries will go moribund if importers or smugglers have flooded the market with what they are trying to produce here in Nigeria. They won’t be able to compete with their foreign counterparts and when that happens, there will be mass unemployment since any industry not doing well will not be able to employ. In many cases, they even lay off their existing workers thereby worsening unemployment situation in the country. With that at the back of my mind, I try to ensure that whoever is smuggling, wherever you come from, whether I know you or not, I ensure that you are subjected to the same checks and treatment. This is very important due to the fact that if I were doing it with bias, people will say this man is favouring this person and that person. The same punishment prescribed in the laws of the land will go to everyone involved. That makes everybody to be so afraid of breaking the law because they know the consequences that will follow. Besides, as a person, I do not want to take NO for an answer. Whenever anyone comes before me, I ask questions. Did you commit the offence for which you were arrested?  Once the answer is YES, that is the end of the matter. No stories or tales by the moonlight. Telling lies that ‘I do not know the importer or licensed customs agent of this vehicle did not pay the appropriate customs duties or I did not know the papers were fake or the vehicle was smuggled into Nigeria’ does not hold water as far as I am concerned. The pertinent question is, did you go to any Customs office to get authentic information or verify the papers the importer or licensed customs agent gave to you? Did you go to any Customs formation to find out the authenticity of the vehicle by using the serial number? Did you find out if the duty on the vehicle was actually paid for? Simple things like that which is supposed to be done by citizens who are buying cars is enough to keep you from unnecessary hassles and trouble. We always advise those who buy vehicles to go to Customs Help Desk to find out. There is no way you will walk into any Customs Help Desk with your documents asking Customs to help you find out if the documents are genuine and you will not get help. If you fail to carry out this simple task and you are arrested, you face the consequences. Sometimes, you may be innocent and we will give you the leverage of paying the penalty. Our advice to the public is that you should not buy any vehicle without verifying the papers they gave you. This is because a lot of people are into fake documentation business. It is not about Custom alone. A lot of people are desperate. They are ready to do anything as long as they will make money. These are the deviants that are bent on beating every blockade to their nefarious activities.

Could you give a brief account of your anti-smuggling activities since assumption of office?

Our anti-smuggling activities have been very aggressive having known the terrain bearing in mind that about 70% of the cost  of revenue is generated from the South-West part of the country and so there should be a close link between our activities and the revenue generated. So for that reason, we must proffer a lot of strategies to contend the contending force of smuggling. It could be recalled that from January to December, 2017, there was significant seizures worth over N5Billion and revenue generated was about N1.9Billion and these revenues would have been lost if not for the gallantry of the officers and men of this command. Recently, the command impounded Pangolin scales with a duty paid value (DPV) of N1.73 billion. The banned items, which were packed in 329 sacks, were impounded at Opebi area of Ikeja. Additionally, due to the resilience of officers in the Zone, various interceptions of contraband goods with Duty Paid Value, (DPV) of N2.55billion between March 1 and March 19 have been recorded. Also, an operation that intercepted two executive Rolls Royce from a Lagos socialite currently being detained in the Command on my orders over alleged underpayment is also another progress       of         the            zone. There are 31 such exotic vehicles parked at the Command premises, and the Customs warehouse, Ikeja. The Duty Paid Value, DPV, of the seized vehicles was N1.43 billion. Sixteen (16) of the exotic vehicles mostly 2017 model were seized through intelligence driven strategy of my eagle-eye officers.  Six of the vehicles were evacuated based on intelligence along Lekki-Epe Expressway and 10 were intercepted while on information patrol at various locations. The vehicles are still under detention pending the grace period of 30 days allowed for the owners to bring relevant Customs documents. Other items seized along with the cars include 1,172 cartons of poultry products, 1,352 gallons of vegetable oil, 72 bales of used clothes, 464 pieces of used tyres, and 629 bundles of textile materials. Others include eight trucks laden with 3,351 bags of rice and 669 jerrycans of vegetable oil intercepted along Iseyin, Oyo/Osun axis.  The Unit also evacuated 1,253 bags of rice from a warehouse in Ogbomosho among other items.

Is Customs not losing too much revenue by allowing most of these seized goods particularly some that are dutiable rot away?

Government is not a profit making organization. What is paramount for government is security. For example, we have a seizure of 2,322 pieces of used tyres in a truck concealed with two vehicles. Now, because of these two vehicles, are we now going to allow the people pay duty and carry the vehicles?  The vehicles are dutiable and so the importer decides to use the dutiable item to conceal goods that are not allowed to come in, for that reason, the whole goods are seized. It is a case of false declaration and even when goods are wrongly classified, instead of paying 20 percent , the importers puts 10 percent to short change the government, but we will not accept that. Government needs statistics. When you open your form ‘M’ and input all the necessary information in the system, with that you have given the statistics to the government. But then, when you go and do something different, that will give government a false record and that will affect government planning and anything that affect government, will also affect us because government is the umbrella of all agencies. So we have to support, protect government revenue, fight anti-smuggling and educate members of the public to desist from the nefarious act. Government is ready to assist genuine traders. As you may be aware, there are incentives in excise production and if you are doing export, government gives you 30 percent of the value of your export in order to encourage the exporter so that we get foreign exchange to develop our economy. So whenever government rolls out policy, it has a purpose for doing so. It is to protect the society. If other people compromise, we are on the road 24/7 to making sure that the right thing is done and contraband goods do not escape to the markets. We will make sure to enforce government directive on import and export regulations. If it is government revenue that must be collected, we make sure that such is protected. We are bound by rule and so if somebody does something contrary to the rule, there are no way we will look the other side. It is not possible, because we are policy implementers, we don’t make the policies, we only implement and we will continue to do that until we are directed otherwise.

What is your management style?

I carry everybody along. It is a train of which everybody is a passenger. Small, or big, junior or senior officers. Every officer contributes in one way or another to ensure that anti-smuggling activities within the zone are effectively handled and efficiently dealt with. We also work as a team towards the growth and development of not only this command, Nigeria Customs Service, but also Nigeria at large.

What has been your inspiration?

Reformation. I am here to reform the system in a way it could not rotten. I am already aware of the Federal Government Policy and objective to provide community service to the masses and that is what we are doing here. What is paramount for government is security, both health wise, economy wise, and so on. What is important is for people to understand that the reason for the reformation is for the wellbeing of all and when they come to understand this, everything I believe works out fine.

Can one say that your childhood and training prepared you for the job?

To an extent it is true that my training, experience and exposure in previous postings prepared me for my present assignment. Nevertheless, I must point out right away that at times, it is not only about training and experience. This is due to the fact that if you continue to train somebody and he does not have that commitment to work for his fatherland, he will not be able to deliver on his assignment. I am committed to my assignment and I love what I am doing. This is because it is a job I do with passion. If you are born, you might decide to be weak or strong. It is a choice you have to make. It is a thing of the mind. I am working for my fatherland. I have no other country I can call my own except Nigeria. Smuggling is a global thing but as a country and as a people, we must show the commitment to tackle it head-on and reduce it to the barest minimum. Otherwise, smuggling activities will continue to undermine the economic policies of the government. Smugglers have been warned again and again that they must stop smuggling and look for legitimate means of livelihood.

Do officers have discretion to raise DN that importers should pay more on a particular consignment?

There is nothing like discretion. If duty is not paid correctly, we put in a correct perspective for the importer or agent to pay. But when you talk of discretion, we don’t do it because it will be abused.

What is your relationship with other sister agencies?

We all work in synergy. Nobody is an Island. Every agency has integral role to play towards the security of this nation; the Army, Navy, Police, NAFDAC, NESREA, SON, NDLEA, and so on. I have as well visited some of these agencies to discuss on how to strengthen the working relationship for positive and efficient results. I visited the Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ikeja. Whenever we make seizures of any kind of goods, we hand them over to appropriate agency in charge for further action. That is how we collaborate and its really yielding positive results.

How can you describe your Comptroller General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd)?

He is a wonderful man, focused and transparent. He has totally changed the ugly perception of Nigeria Customs Service through transparency. The rules and regulations of the service, the procedures and processes of activities in the service have changed for good ever since he came on board. He is a very focus minded, determined, peaceful, gallant, hardworking and most importantly very supportive to his officers. Let me seize this opportunity once again to appreciate the CGC, Hameed Ali (Rtd) and the entire management team of the Service for appreciating the FOU, Zone “A” with a commendation letter for outstanding performance on anti-smuggling activities and revenue generation in the last few months and for providing necessary logistics that brought about this feat. The commendation is quite encouraging and will spur us to double our efforts in carrying out our statutory functions, without any fear of intimidation by economic saboteurs, who are not willing to support government’s policies in growing the economy.   We are determined more than ever, to sustain this laudable performance by ensuring that we give economic saboteurs a run for their money”.

What is your message to smugglers?

You will agree with me that smuggling is a global phenomenon which cannot be curbed entirely but can be bought to it barest minimum. My message to those still engaging in smuggling is to desist from illegal trade. Government is ready to assist anybody who is doing genuine business. We are here to facilitate trade but it is not going to be at the expense of security. For example, not all the seizures we recorded are contraband but they were seized because they contravened the importation law by bringing something not allowed to come in while others use goods that are dutiable but they put in goods that are not allowed and by our law, when you cover goods that are not allowed to come with goods that are allowed both goods are seized by the government. With that, money is lost, investment is also lost, so it our appeal that smugglers engage in legitimate business for their own good. I also want to appeal to the media to continue the partnership with Customs in the advocacy campaign against the evil of smuggling to the economy. There is always room for improvement and we will continue to intensify our anti-smuggling operations within our areas of jurisdiction in order to ensure efficiency.

By : Grassroots Publishers