Nigeria Customs intercepts ammunitions, other prohibited items in Benue

The Nigeria Customs Joint Border Patrol Team, North Central Zone Sector 3 Ilorin, Kwara State has seized a large quantity of ammunition of five hundred and fifty (550) cartridges contained in Twenty two (22) packs of 25 pieces each being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, was intercepted at Benue State.

The Coordinator of the zone, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters disclosed this during a news conference in Ilorin while given a scorecard of the zone from the eleventh of August this year to date.

According to him, based on an intelligence report, the sector intercepted a commercial Bus around Y Junction, Adikpo in Benue State heading to Taraba State and on searching the vehicle, two (2) black Bacco sacks were found to contain pump-action cartridges were suspected to been smuggled into the country.

Olugboyega explained that the seized ammunition, the driver and the suspect were arrested immediately and brought to Sector 3 Headquarters, Ilorin, Kwara State, after preliminary investigation, as the law of jurisdiction demands, they were all handed over to Nigeria Police Force, Benue State for further investigation.

He raised the alarm that should the  Five hundred and Fifty (550) rounds of live ammunition escape into the country and fall into wrong hands, the consequences would be devastating.

The Customs boss told newsmen that within the period under review, Sector 3 has recorded Forty-Six (49) seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N29, 273,300.

These according to him,  include-:

1. 1,251 Jeri cans of 25 litres each of PMS (31,273liters)
2. 751 Bags of foreign parboiled rice
3. 9 Used Vehicles
4. 550 live cartridges
5. 7 Bales of second clothing
6. 1 Motorcycle used as a means of conveyance of PMS and also used as smuggling surveillance.

He explained that for the avoidance of doubt, Customs and excise Management Act Cap 45 LFN 2004 (as amended) gives Customs officers so many powers amongst are:

• Section 46 give powers to seize goods
• Section 145 gives us the power to examine
• Section 150 power to search people
• Sections 158 and 167 empower Customs officers to patrol freely across the nation and make provision for detentions, seizures and condemnation of goods respectively.
• Section 147 and 149 powers to search premises without warrant and power to search vehicles/ships respectively.

Olugboyega, therefore, seized the opportunity to warn those who want to use this yuletide period to make money by smuggling prohibited items to think twice as his officers have continued to dominate the general area with aggressive patrols to deny smugglers freedom of action.

The Comptroller assured  Nigerians that the Joint Border Patrol Team; Sector 3 would do all it takes to ensure that smuggling suffocates and in due course collapse but said this could easily be achieved if host communities, youths, Community Leaders, Religious Leaders and the local dwellers stop seeing smuggling as a means of livelihood and equally stop conspiring or assisting the perpetrators of this heinous crime called smuggling.

Olugboyega appealed to border communities most especially youths to eschew from smuggling and stop confronting or obstructing operatives from carrying out their legitimate duties as section 11 of CEMA frowns at such act.

According to him, no amount of intimidation, force or threat will deter them from doing what they are employed to do and enjoined the general public to embrace legitimate means of livelihood and to avoid smuggling of prohibited items that are inimical to attaining the vision of having a healthy and economically viable society.

He, however, restated the resolve of the sector to deal with perpetrators and saboteurs of this agenda as their determination to curb smuggling remains unshaken.

“It is on record that youths whom we refer to as leaders of tomorrow, who are supposed to support the policies and programs of Federal Government, allow themselves to be used by unscrupulous elements to attack or link tragedy or accident that befall road users to our operatives.” 

The Coordinator of the sector expressed appreciation to what he described as the magnanimous support they have received from all the Heads of Agencies including the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) and his management team for giving them the wherewithal that enabled them to achieve great results.

PIAK