Customs records N80bn in six months at Lagos airport

…says duty-paid value of seized items was N6.06bn

The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammad Area Command, has disclosed that it recorded a sum of N80.3bn between January and June 2024.

This is as the Command revealed that the duty-paid value of the seized items at N6.06bn.

The command recorded the following seizures within the period to include; five packages of 250mg of tramadol, 12 pages of 225mg of tramadol, one package of 50 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, 46 packages of dried donkey male genitals, and 55 pieces of Josef Tomahawk semi-automatic rifles.”

This was made known at a press briefing by the command’s Comptroller, Michael Awe, at the Murtala Muhammad Airport Area Command Office on Tuesday.

The comptroller said that the figure represented a 107.5 per cent increase in revenue during the period under review, compared to N41.6bn collected during the same period in 2023.

Awe said the increase in revenue was made possible through the concerted effort of the officers to ensure that agents were made to make truthful declarations while adhering to the import and export guidelines.

He said, “The command from January to June 2024 was able to collect a total duty of eighty billion, three hundred and fifty-one million, two hundred and ninety-nine thousand and sixty-eight naira only (N80,351,299,068.00) on customs duty and other charges.

In comparison to the revenue collected in the same period in 2023, the revenue stood at thirty-eight billion, seven hundred and seven million, fifty-four thousand, two hundred and sixteen naira, and forty-four kobo only (N38,707,054,216.44), which clearly shows a progressive difference of forty-one billion, six hundred and forty-four million, two hundred and forty-six thousand, eight hundred and fifty-one naira, and fifty-six kobo only (N41,644,246,851.56), depicting a 107.5 per cent increase.”

He further said the command also recorded N266.66m as an export value within the same timeframe under review.

“In the area of anti-smuggling, officers have not been resting on their oars in enforcing government fiscal policies and other trade regulations.”

While charging his officers to sustain the tempo of work, Awe stated that the command had taken a firm and tactical approach in its operations of enforcing government fiscal policies, an action that had led to the seizure of drugs, harm and ammunition, among others.