The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ said it intercepted contraband and smuggled goods with duty paid value (DPV) of N20,897,553,880.08 between January and December 2020.
The unit also recovered a total of N1, 752,094,037.94 as revenue from shortfalls on duty payments at the seaport. The lost revenue was recovered through the issuance of demand notices sequel to interceptions and documentary checks.
A statement signed by Theophilus Duniya of the Unit stated that a total of 31,129 of 50kg bags of foreign rice; 11,290 cartons of foreign poultry products; 3,562kg of Indian Hemp; 9,801 kegs of 25 litres each of vegetable oil; 560 units of used vehicles, and 24,612 pieces of used tyres were intercepted within the period under review.
Commenting, Usman Yahaya, acting controller in charge of the Unit, assured that, no consignment or goods on transit would be unjustifiably delayed for as long as there is compliance with the extant guidelines on the procedure for import and export clearance.
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“We are totally committed to the course of facilitating legitimate trade. This feat was as a result of credible information and intelligence gathering. Thus, we are soliciting for timely and credible information from patriotic citizens that would assist us to carry out duties with diligence,” Yahaya stated.
Yahaya, who appreciated the units’ esteemed stakeholders and patriotic citizens for their unflinching support, also appealed to traditional rulers, teachers, religious leaders and parents to urge the youth not to allow themselves to be used by economic saboteurs.
According to him, the unit shall remain determined at enforcing the federal government fiscal policies, extant regulations and guidelines on import/export without fear or favour.
FOU Customs is a Unit that compliments the area commands at the ports through interventions as part of its mandate to patrol, intercept suspected smuggled items and access warehouses suspected to be used by smugglers and duty evaders.
