Officers and men of the Western Marine Command, Nigeria Customs Service, have continued to showcase tremendous efforts in driving anti-smuggling activities on waterways and the creeks, as they successfully intercepted over N845 million worth of prohibited items such as Premium Motor Spirit, Cannabis Sativa, foreign parboiled rice in nine months.
The wealth of experience put to bear by Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller PK Bamisaye, who resumed office as the helmsman of the Command in April 2024, is fast showing ripple effect on the economic saboteurs who ply the creeks for their illegal activities with this feat.
In the half year performance report sighted by The Point, Western Marine Command in the first half year 2024 recorded 26 incidents of seizures in its operations valued at N843,424,000 which represents a significant increase of N724,824,665 from the 2023 performance of N118,581,335, a percentage increase of 611.26% by the Command in the mid-year.
According to the report, top among the commodities seized for the first six months of 2024 is Cannabis Sativa, a total of 5,685 loaves which was valued at N711,700,500, contributing a huge chunk of the impressive half year performance.
“A total seizure of 925bags of 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice was made between January and June 2024 contributing a duty paid value of N97, 448,000 for subject commodity to the Command’s performance, a figure that is above the 2023 DPV figure of N86,600,000 by over N10,000,000.
“Another commodity that also contributed to the notable mid-year performance of the Command is the interception of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS). A comprehensive analysis of interceptions of PMS reveals a total seizure of 21,500 litres PMS with a DPV of N14,186,000.00 was made in the period under review as against 17,865 litres of N2,707,433.00 for the same period in 2023,” the report revealed.
However, in September 2024, the Command made two seizures of 2,975 litres, equivalent of 119 gallons of 25litres of PMS having a combined duty paid value of N2,334,475.00.
This was against the seizures made for the same month in the corresponding year 2023, where three seizures with DPV of N113,434,000 was made.
While speaking on the low record of seizures for the month of September, the Command’s spokesman, Mailafiya Magaji, affirmed that the record is a reflection of the present harsh economic realities on the waterways which has led to a reduction in trading activities.
Magaji added that the positive impactful and complementary roles played by sister Commands- Seme and Ogun 1 Area Commands, Operation Whirlwind and Joint Border Patrol Drill have also contributed greatly to the corresponding reduction in smuggling activities on the waterways as the offending goods no longer find their ways to the waterways from the land.
Meanwhile in a bid to enhance anti-smuggling activities on waterways, the Command under the leadership of Comptroller PK Bamisaye, on September 25, 2024, paid courtesy visit to critical stakeholders within its jurisdiction (Customs Area Controllers of Ogun 1&2) to improve existing synergy and build strategic relationships.
The Command’s spokesman noted that relationships with relevant stakeholders such as Barge Owner Association of Nigeria (BOAN), International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals USA, INC.(IICFIP), Nigeria Army Topo Badagry, KLT and TinCan Customs Commands have been heightened by the Area Controller to enhance trade facilitation and also curb any form of smuggling activities on the creeks.
On other activities put in place by the Command, Magaji noted that the Command launched an environmental exercise focusing on planting of flowers inorder to beautify the immediate surroundings of the Command and promote sustainable protection of the local ecosystem.
