The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said on Wednesday that its Command in Ogun State – Ogun 1 Area Command – made some seizures of smuggled goods worth N335,855,989 in the months of April and May 2023.
Addressing a Press Conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital, Bamidele Makinde, the Area Controller of the Command, declared that “big sticks were wielded on unscrupulous traders, who engaged in illicit trade and recorded spectacular seizures worth over N335.8 Million.”
Bamidele, who commended men of Customs in the State for a good job, listed some of the spectacular seizures made by the Customs to have included the interceptions and seizures of three foreign-used luxury buses which were brought into the country through Ohumbe border, two Toyota Hiace buses of 2022 model, among other contraband.
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He added that the seized items also included 11 trucks of 6,924 (50kg) smuggled foreign parboiled rice, premium motor spirit, used tyres, cannabis sativa and other prohibited items with a total duty paid value of N335,855,989.00, saying the Customs was able to achieve the feat based on strategic deployment of intelligence across the state.
Similarly, Makinde said that the Command was able to generate the sum of N34,174,105 in April and May 2023 as revenue, compared to N10,615,618.00 generated in the corresponding period in 2022, and recorded a significant increase of about 69%.
He however noted that the Customs Command was already deliberating on how to enhance its business activities through trade facilitation mechanism, just as he promised that the Command would implement all the recommendations and deliberations with the hope of increasing export, trade and increase the revenue and national GDP of the Command.
