The Seme Border Command of Nigeria Customs Service has informed that it collected a sum of N2, 634, 190, 645.53 into the coffers of the Federal Government from January to May 28, 2023.
This amount surpassed that of 2023 for the same period by 272%.
The Controller of the Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi, made this known while addressing the media on the command’s activities at Seme-Krake Joint Border Post in Lagos State on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Bomodi noted that the Command facilitated 143, 468 metric tonnes of export produce, with FOB value of ₦35, 199, 971, 097.7 equivalent to $38, 461, 397.39.
According to him, the NESS value paid was ₦174, 518, 464.82 only as a total of Four Hundred and Six SGDs were utilized from January to May 26 2024 for export alone.
In the area of anti-smuggling, the Controller has this to say: “Our Enforcement unit sustained its anti-smuggling momentum in all nooks and crannies of the Command. This onslaught translated into Four Hundred and Seventy-Four (474) interception of various contraband items within the period under review.
“We note that there has been a marked increase in the illegal importation of Cannabis from Ghana and different methods have been used by criminals in their effort to beat our officers all of which have been neutralized.”
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The seized items were PMS: 12,448 Jerrycans x 30 litres each which is equivalent to eight (8) Tanker Loads. Rice: 6,467 Bags of 50kg, which is equivalent to 10 Trailer Loads. Vehicles: 15 used vehicles. Cannabis: 1, 251parcels of cannabis sativa.
Others were Wild Animal: 20 Live Parrots, 2 Honey badgers, 2 Pelican Birds and 404 Live tortoises. General Merchandise: 3, 023 items. Codeine: 149 Packages. Used Tyers: 45 Pieces. Their combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) was ₦840, 003, 646.00 only.
He disclosed that 18 suspects were arrested in connection with these seizures, 11 of them were granted administrative bails, three were handed over to NDLEA for further agency action, one was handed over to the Nigerian Police, while 4 suspects were still in custody of Customs.
“The Command has also set-up a complaint desk to address issues concerning the molestation of females on this corridor. We strongly frown at any act endangering the health and well-being of the vulnerable population of border stake-holders who go about their normal and legitimate businesses daily. Stringent action shall be taken against any officer of the any agency found guilty of molestation of any females on this corridor,” said he.
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