The Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has generated over N25.5bn revenue for the 2021 fiscal year, as it also seized contraband worth over N1bn in the corresponding period while carrying out anti- smuggling and enforcement campaign.
Comptroller of the command, Suleiman Umar Pai disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the service in the year 2021 at the command’s Headquarters, Bampai, Kano state.
He said the sum of N25,564,708,926.25k revenue generated in 2021 is more than the N24,438,274,946.09K generated in the preceding year 2020.
“This shows an increase to what was collected over last year. We are determined in maintaining the tempo and improving on the records. During the period under review, the command has made a total of 398 seizures with duty paid value of N1,021,556,789.98k. Some of the items includes: Foreign Rice 1,040 (50Kg) bags, Spagetti, Creamy Milk, second-hand-clothes, Donkey Skin,” said Pai.
He said some suspects arrested in connection with the seizures have been handed over to relevant agencies for investigation, others were taken to court out of which 10 were prosecuted.
“One of the suspects was arrested with fake foreign currencies,” said the Comptroller.
He said there will be no hiding place for the trans-border criminals as the agency is poised to uncover all their illegal activities, arrest them and make them face the law, just as it promises to create enabling environment for those who are into lawful trans-border businesses.
“We continue to mobilize our intelligence gathering technique and deploy our strength and available logistics to ensure success in the fight against smugglers and economic saboteurs,” he stressed.
According to him in the course of the year, the command also took delivery of five units of brand new Toyota Hilux vehicles and two units of brand new Toyota Land Cruiser as a gesture from Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) to enhance the operations of the command.
He commended men and officers of the command for their dedication to duty as well as sister security agencies and other stakeholders for their unflinching support to the command.
Bilkisu Pai
