Smuggling: Kwara Customs seize 48 sacks of marijuana, items worth N448m

By Ahmed Ajikobi

The Customs Area Comptroller, Ahmed Bello has disclosed that the command has secured the seizure of 48 sacks of Cannabis sativa also called Marijuana, 16 units of vehicles of various types, 953 bags of foreign rice (50kg each) 4,357 bags of mosquito coil and one hundred and eighty four (184) 25 litres Jerry Cans of PMS.

According to him, the cannabis seizure was made at Bukuru border station of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara and would be handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He said the seizures were made between 1st of August 2019 and 31st of January 2020.

Bello made this disclosure at the maiden press briefing held at the Command headquarters in Ilorin on Wednesday.

He said, “Of interest is the seizure of 48 sacks of 3,593Kg of Cannabis Sativa (otherwise called Marijuana). You are not un-aware of reported widespread abuse on the substance across the country by our teeming youths, this act is unfortunate and we at Kwara Command will continue to do everything humanly possible to stop the smuggling of the substance in order to guarantee a great and promising future for our youths.

“This is ultimately aimed at highlighting the feat achieved based on our core functions of revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and facilitation of trade.

“It is however, important to reiterate that among several reasons for the unbundling and creation of eight new Area Commands (Kwara Command inclusive) by the board of Nigeria Customs Service is to enhance administrative convenience and boost revenue generation of the Service.

“It will interest you to know that during the period under review (August 2019-January 2020) the articulation and execution of result-oriented strategy based on the aforementioned vision have yielded the generation of N4 billion revenue, “he said.

Bello said the feat was achieved as a result of sensitization, engagement of stakeholders, the introduction and implementation of NICIS II.

He further said the total Duty Paid Value of the above items is N448.43 million.

He noted that it is pertinent that the Command would continue to dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public on the strategic role of NCS activities to the social and economic stability of the nation.

He added that the enforcement of government policies would always be accorded utmost priority with strict adherence to extant laws and guidelines.

Bello commended the synergy the service received from sister agencies, opinion leaders, heads of traditional institutions, eminent personalities and other law-abiding members of the public adding that the service would continue to count on their support in the discharge of their statutory functions

……to shut down supermarkets selling foreign rice, prohibited goods

The Nigeria Customs Service, in Kano and Jigawa states, is set to shutdown supermarkets and shops found patronising foreign rice and other prohibited items.

The agency, in a letter with reference number NCS/KAN/053/S.28 dated 17th February 2020 wrote to all supermarkets and shops in Kano and Jigawa states, directing them to stop patronising prohibited items or risk being shut down.

However, in the letter, the agency did not indicate when the operation will take effect.

It said the decision was meant to suppress the smuggling of prohibited items in the interest of the nation’s economy and security.

“We deem it fit to write and seek for your cooperation to stop patronising foreign rice and other prohibited items in your supermarket and shop to avoid being closed by Customs operatives,” the letter highlighted.

It added that any supermarket or shop found to be selling prohibited items will be closed down, for the interest of the nation’s economy and security.

Since the border closure, the Customs officials and other security agencies in Jigawa border have been having a running battle with suspected smugglers who have been devising other means in smuggling prohibited items.