The Nigeria Customs Service, Kwara Area Command has generated and remitted the sum of Nineteen Billion, One Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million, two Hundred and forty Thousand, one hundred and thirty-four Naira, Nineteen Kobo (N19, 159,240,134.19) to the federation account from July 2019 to December 2021.
The Customs Area Commander, Kwara Area Command, Comptroller Hussaini Bello Ahmed disclosed this while showcasing the achievements in its operations in the state for the period under review.
Comptroller Bello also added that the service generated and remitted the sum of Nine Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Million, Five Hundred and Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Two Naira, Forty-Eight Kobo (N9, 848,505,922.48) between January 2021 to December, 2021.
This figure according to him, surpasses the revenue generated by the command in the year 2020 with Two Billion, Nine Hundred Forty-Two Million, Ninety Thousand and forty-seven Naira, forty-eight Kobo (N2,942,090,047.48).
ANTI-SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES
According to him, the Command has also made remarkable seizures of large quantity of live ammunitions packaged in 25 packs of 25 rounds each, contained in fourteen cartons, worth One Million, Four Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand Naira (N1,444,000.00)
“This landmark seizure was made around Bukuro axis of the Command” he revealed.
Based on intelligence report, the Customs Boss also said the Command intercepted a Peugeot 504 vehicle with registration number AP 448 AKD which contained a large quantity of pump action cartridges suspected to be smuggled into the country
“This epic Seizure is very commendable at the backdrop of the heightened insecurity in the country. Should Three Thousand Six Hundred and twenty (3,620) rounds of live ammunition of this magnitude escaped into the Country and fall into wrong hands, the result will be appalling, devastating and disastrous” he lamented.
Within the period under review, the Area Commander disclosed that the Command recorded one Hundred and one (101) seizures as against corresponding year 2020 with Eighty-four (84) seizures. These include-:
- 2,971 Bags of foreign par boiled Rice
- 3,620 live cartridges as earlier mentioned above with a suspect
- 420 Jeri cans of PMS
- 39 Used Vehicles
- 20 Jeri cans of Vegetable Oil
- 17 Motorcycles used as a means of conveyance of foreign parboiled Rice and PMS
- A total of (5) Suspects arrested within the period under review were released on administrative bail
The Total Duty Paid Value (DPV) is Ninety-Nine Million, Nine Hundred and fifteen thousand fifty Naira (N99, 915,050).
According to him, this shows that from 2019 till date, the command has recorded one hundred and ninety-nine (199) seizures with a duty paid value of Four Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and forty-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Naira (487,748,850)
“The highest contraband items seized within the period is 6,958 bags of foreign par boiled Rice which is over and above Eleven (11) trailer load of rice” he added.
Comptroller Husseini, further reinstated that the intelligence network in the command is still very strong adding that despite resistance, threats and confrontations with dangerous weapons by the perpetrators, officers were able to evacuate a total number of Four Hundred and Two (402) bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, using about Twenty-one (21) official patrol vehicles to convey the goods to the Command Headquarters.
He, therefore, reiterated that the continuous attack on his officers will not deter them from performing their legitimate duties in Kwara State and warned the perpetrators of this act to desist as any method or techniques used will be uncovered.
According to him, the Kwara Area Command under his watch will continue to be at the forefront of anti-smuggling activities, maximizing revenue collection and will not relent on their efforts, while maintaining the highest standard and professionalism in performing their duties to the service and to the Nation at large.
He appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, ward heads and community leaders to educate their youths against the dangers of smuggling, particularly the smuggling of Arms and Ammunition.
Bilkisu Pai
