The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded One hundred and eighty-seven seizures with a duty paid value of N302,590 252:00 between January and December 2022.
The Coordinator Joint Border Patrol Team, JBPT Sector 3, in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, Assistant Comptroller General, Olugboyega Peter made this known when he was speaking to newsmen about the achievements his team recorded during the period under review.
He said the team also intercepted and seized 2,052 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 4,598 liters of Petrol, 28 units of used vehicles, 16 units of motorcycles, 402 Wraps of Cannabis Sativa, and 90 pieces of used tyres among others.
According to him, during the period under review, the team lost one of the officers, Saheed Aweda while three others sustained life-threatening injuries during an attack by hoodlums.
Olugboyega urged smugglers and traffickers to change their ways and take to legitimate business and advised those attacking their officers to desist from such acts.
He maintained that the patrol team under his watch will ensure illegal businesses are not allowed to flourish.
According to him, during the period under review, Sector 3 also intercepted a total of three (3) stolen vehicles. Namely; a Lexus RX 350 without a number plate sized around the Benue axis, a Toyota Yaris with Registration Number BEN-59-EZ apprehended around the Lokoja Axis of the Sector, and a Toyota land cruiser jeep intercepted at the Suleja axis.
Olugboyega, however, said, in line with the extant laws, most of the inflammable products have been auctioned to the public with the amount generated as fees remitted to government coffers.
He, therefore, warned those he described as daredevil smugglers who still have the intention to smuggle illicit, controlled, and prohibited goods or engage in human trafficking and other criminal activities to think twice.
“There will be no hiding place for them as the new patrol strategies adopted by the sector in line with the Presidential directive against illegal perpetrators who are bent on derailing the nation’s economy will be made face full wrath of the law” he declared.
He advised parents and guardians to warn their wards to desist from obstructing customs operatives from performing their legitimate duties “as the sector will not hesitate to use appropriate force in line with rules of engagement and will leave our officers with no other alternative than to defend themselves in the interest of the nation.”
Olugbenga thanked community leaders and other government agencies that showed concern and collaborated with the sector for the success recorded in the Sector 3 operations in the North Central Zone of the country.
Dominica Nwabufo
