Customs Impound N234m Contraband In Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi
Within three months, the Nigeria Customs Service’s Zone B Strike Force recovered contraband worth N234, 411, 763 00.
The seizures were made in fulfillment of NCS’ statutory tasks and in line with the requirements of the Customs and Excise Extant Laws, according to the zone’s coordinator, Deputy Comptroller Oseni Olorukoba, who led media on a tour of the service’s Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi commands.
He said the seizures, which took place between April and June, included 404 compressed packets of Indian hemp valued over N4 million, which he praised.
The cannabis was handed over to the NDLEA Sokoto Command, Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics, Mr Mustapha Bala, at the Sokoto Customs Area Command.
Giving the breakdown of the seizures, Olorukoba said, “In the Sokoto Area Command, the Strike Force Unit was able to seize contraband worth N42,965, 503. 00 through a concerted effort of vigilant officers of the unit.
“The seizures included 1,708 bags of foreign rice, 1,145 Jerry cans of vegetables oil, 255 sacks of foreign sandals, 771 bales of jumbo size second hand clothing, condensed milk, foreign NPK fertiliser, 204 cartoons of foreign spaghetti, Sex enhancing drugs, Cannabis Sativa, a Honda Civic and a Toyota Corolla vehicle.”
Conducting journalists round the seized contraband goods within the premises of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi Area Command, Olorukoba said that Duty Paid Value on seized goods under the command was N46.7m.
He added, “Similarly, the Zone B, Strike Force, under the NCS Kebbi Area Command, intercepted and seized contraband goods, with Duty Paid Value put at N46,715, 161.00.
“The seized items included 264, 106, 50kg and 25kg foreign rice, 214 NPK fertilizer, 262 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, 125 bales of second hand clothings, packs of spaghetti and three cars.”
The Customs officer expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs Colonel Hameed Ali (retd.), for his moral and logistical support.
He said, “The credit of our successes recorded is courtesy the CGC adequate support in the areas of manpower, logistics and intelligence in tandem with its zero tolerance for smuggling.”
