The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command said it has intercepted no fewer than one hundred and eighty nine thousand (189,000) pieces of arms ammunition in its anti-smuggling activities.
The command also disclosed that it has seized one thousand, seven hundred and fifty three (1753) 50kg bags of imported rice between July and October this year.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Benjamin Lomba, gave the revelations via a statement made available to journalists on Thursday.
Lomba in the statement said a total of fifteen seizures were made between July and September this year.
According to Lomba, “The Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service within the first eighteen (18) days in the month of October has made a total seizure of five hundred and fourteen (514) 50kg bags of imported foreign rice with a duty paid value of eight million, seven hundred and fifty-one thousand, six hundred naira (N8,751,600.00).
“A total of fifteen (15) seizures with the duty paid value of one hundred and two million, two hundred and seventy thousand, seventy-two naira (N102,270,072.00) only from the month of July to September (third quarter) 2018 were made.
Lomba said, “Some of the strategic seizures of the third quarter of the year include:
“One hundred and Eighty Nine thousand (189,000) pieces of ammunition with a duty paid value of sixty three million, five hundred and four thousand naira (N63,504,000.00) only.
“One thousand, two hundred and thirty nine (1239) 50kg bags of rice with duty paid value of twenty two million, three hundred and fifty one thousand, four naira (N22,351,400.00).
“A total of Twelve (12) fairly used assorted vehicles were arrested with a duty paid value of Fourteen million, Eight hundred and Sixty thousand, Four hundred and Thirty Six naira (N14,860,436.00).
“Other items such as vegetable oil, textile fabrics, footwear etc with duty paid value of One million, Five hundred and Fifty Four thousand, Two hundred and Thirty Six naira (N1,554,236.00).
Lomba added that, “The Command also generated a total of Seven Hundred and Twenty-Five million, Five hundred and Five Thousand, Eighty-Eight naira, Seventy-Nine kobo (N725,505,088.79) in the third quarter of the year 2018. This when compared to a revenue figure of Five hundred and thirty-Four million, One hundred and Fifteen thousand, Twelve naira, Eighty kobo (N534,115,012.80) made within the same period in 2017 shows an increase of One hundred and Ninety-One million, Three hundred and Ninety thousand, Seventy-Six naira (N191,390,076.00) in the revenue generated.
“The Command looks forward to unprecedented performance in this last quarter of the year by re-strategizing, applying various diversifications in intelligence gathering and utilization, application of diplomacy in anti-smuggling especially in volatile border areas etc.
“This will enable the command to consistently build on both revenue and anti-smuggling feats”, Lomba concluded.
