Customs FOU ‘A’ intercepts PMS, rice, other goods worth N2.8bn in Q1, 2024

By Seun Ibiyemi

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded significant strides in combating smuggling activities, recording a total of 206 seizures with a duty paid value of N2,877,049,777 in the first three months of 2024.

Additionally, 29 suspects were apprehended in connection with the seizures within the review period.

Controller of the unit, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos on Friday said the seizures include various contraband items, such as 12,278 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 40 units of used vehicles, 286 cartons of rubber slippers, and 1,220 cartons of foreign tomato paste.

Others are 2,705 kegs of premium motor spirit, 3,510 pieces of used pneumatic tyres, 330 bales of used clothes, 2,230 kg of Indian Hemp, 1,569 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products, 365 cartons of unmarked drugs, 104 units of motorcycles, and 566 cartons of slippers.

According to Ejibunu, the seizures were made due to violations of various sections of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and the federal government’s import and export prohibition guidelines.

He added that the unit within the review period recovered N305,310,010.44 in revenue, representing 67 percent of the N455,202,073.97 revenue target for the year 2024.

Ejibunu also highlighted the risks faced by officers during operations, citing a recent incident where officers were shot at by armed men suspected to be smugglers in Oyo State.

He said while some officers in the patrol team sustained injuries, they successfully repelled the smugglers with superior firepower.

Ejibunu warned armed non-state actors of the legal consequences of their actions just as he reiterated the unit’s commitment to upholding the law.

”Armed non-state actors should beware of the legal consequences of their actions when caught.

“We shall never be distracted or deterred by their antics; the rules of engagement would be fully invoked in compliance with the Service’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to counter any attack on officers,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of compliance, Ejibunu encouraged importers to take advantage of the Service’s preferential treatment programs such as fast track, advance ruling, and the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) program.

The AEO program allows compliant economic operators involved in international goods movement to apply for AEO status, facilitating legitimate trade while maintaining focus on high-risk operators.