FROM MIJINYAWA BABA- UTHMAN MINNA
The Niger/ Kogi area command of the Nigeria Custom Service has recorded a seizures and detention of eight units of assorted exotics and other vehicles through the anti-smuggling operations carried out by the men of the area command.
The area Comptroller of the Service in Niger state, Mr. Busayo Oluwagbemiga Kadejo stated this at a media briefing held at the command headquarters in Minna Tuesday.
He also disclosed that the area command recorded another seizures of thirty five (35) jerry-cans of premium motor spirit (PMP) 25 liters each, stating that the products already auctioned as a result of its inflammatory nature,
He said the disposal of the products was sought and permission was granted by the Comptroller General of the service with the accrued proceeds paid into the Federation account.
According the area Comptroller, the cumulative duty paid value of all the seized items in the month of December 2023,amounted to one hundred ninety four thousand, seven hundred eighty million naira (N 194,780,000).
" In December 2023, the command was also able to recover a total sum of twelve million six hundred and five thousand four hundred and thirty nine naira only (N12,605,439), principally from demand notice" he stated.
In the same vein, the Comptroller, told Journalists that the command made sixty five seizures with cumulative duty paid value of two hundred and six million three hundred and one thousand nine hundred and thirty three thousand (N206,301,933.00)
Speaking further, Mr Busayo Kadejo noted that the achievements recorded by the area command was the massive deployment of intelligence and the application of the service rules of engagement which resulted in the Succes recorded without any casualties.
" The sincere efforts of our brave and gallant Officers is quite commendable, and I assure them that the bold sacrifices will not go unnoticed.
" I want to make it clear again that the Federal Government's directive on border closure is still very much in force in Babanna the only border Station in the command"
he told Journalists
He warned smugglers and other criminally minded elements to steer clear from the area command adding that his command will continue to launch unprecedented onslaught against them stating that " we will not spare them no matter how highly placed they are in the society. This is a Stern warning to smugglers that we will always discover all their routes and ways used in smuggling , make seizures, effect arrests and cripple their operations"
