Officers and men of the Kebbi Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service, Birnin Kebbi, have continued to intensify effort to sustain and improve the revenue mandate for the third quarter of year 2024 amid low volume of imports experienced along its official border, Kamba, as the Command recorded a sum of ₦36, 223, 554.50 as revenue within the period under review.
The Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Iheanacho Ernest Ojike, disclosed this at a media briefing held at the Command’s headquarters on Friday.
Iheanacho revealed that the Command has been on the frontline, working assiduously to improve the revenue generated yearly by the Command to meet up the set target; has been holding series of meetings and educating stakeholders on basic customs procedures of importation/exportation which is aimed at stemming the tide of smuggling and increasing revenue generation.
“In all the meetings we held, we stressed the need for compliance and avoidance of importing goods that would be injurious to the health of Nigerians and destroy the economy; and also assembled all our trading communities on board in a deliberate and conscious effort to forge a common ground. Also in a quest to further improve the revenue drive, the Command under the able leadership of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has been actively involved in the process of reopening of Tsamiya-Sebgana border, which proposed a one-stop border post. A one-stop border cuts off all irrelevancies in documentations and non-tariff procedures preceding trade facilitation,” he said.
Speaking on the Command’s anti-smuggling activities, Iheanacho stated that the Command successfully intercepted prohibited items having a Duty Paid Value of ₦323, 065, 567 in collaboration with sister agencies.
According to him, “In the area of anti-smuggling, the Command has recorded a series of successes as the officers and men continue to strive hard to get rid of smuggling activities within Kebbi. The seizures made during the period under review are- 367 of bales of secondhand clothing, 16,300 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 74 cartons of different medicaments, 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50Kg each, 180 pieces of donkey skin bundled in nine (9) sacks, 2 litres of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each, 1 unit of DAF truck and Toyota Corolla as means of conveyance, among others.
“It may interest you to know that 5 Suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures above and they have been granted administrative bail in compliance with the provision of the constitution pending further investigation and proper trial of their case.
“The Duty Paid Value of the seized items is ₦323, 065, 567.
“The above seizures were possible with the combined efforts of the outfield officers, our intelligence Unit, Patrol team leaders, other relevant units, sister agencies and well-meaning Nigerians who provided intelligence.
“Acting within the policy thrust of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi of consolidation, innovation and collaboration, the Command will shortly hand over one hundred and eighty (180) pieces of donkey skin and seventy four (74) cartons of different medicaments to Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectively.”
Iheanacho further reiterated commitment to make Kebbi State free of smuggling activities, saying “I will like to use this medium to warn smugglers and their syndicates that our officers and men are well positioned and equipped to scuttle all their activities, therefore, we urge them to abstain from their nefarious act. Kebbi State must be free from any smuggling activities.”
