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Economy

Border closure: Joint security operatives seize N1.4bn items – CG

Border closure: Joint security operatives seize N1.4bn items – CG

By Mustapha Sumaila
Seizure
Abuja, Oct. 14, 2019 (NAN) The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), retired Col. Hammed Ali, said operatives of the ongoing Joint Border Security had seized items worth N1.4 billion since the partial closure of borders.
Ali disclosed this during a joint news conference with his counterpart from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Mohammed Babandede, in Abuja on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the joint border security exercise, codenamed “Exercise Swift Response”, commenced operation on Aug. 20.
It is set up to ensure a better security of the country’s territorial integrity, particularly the land and maritime borders against trans-border security concerns.
The exercise is being coordinated by Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the four zones of North-West, North-Central, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones.
Ali explained that the items seized since the commencement of the exercise were 21,071 of 50Kg of per boiled foreign rice; 190 vehicles; 891 drums filled with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and 2,665 jerricans of vegetable oil.
He said other items were 133 motorcycles; 70 jerricans of PMS, and 131 bags of NPK fertiliser.
The customs boss explained that unscrupulous elements used such fertilisers for explosives to perpetuate mayhem in the country.
According to him, 95 per cent of illicit drugs and weapons use for terrorism come through the porous borders.
He further stated that the rate of insecurity in the country had reduced dramatically since the closure of borders.
He disclosed that 317 suspected smugglers and 146 illegal migrants have so far been arrested during the exercise.
Ali said the partial border closure had also boosted the revenue being generated by the service. (NAN)
MS/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Recruitment: Physically challenged applicants take demand to Customs

Recruitment: Physically challenged applicants take demand to Customs
By Mustapha Sumaila
Employment
Abuja, Aug. 23, 2019 (NAN) The Association of Physically Challenged Applicants and Workers (APCAW) on Friday visited Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) demanding for slots in the ongoing recruitment by the service.
The President of the association, Mr Godstime Onyegbulam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they were at the customs headquarters to plead, to consider his members in the employment.
Onyegbulam explained that some of the members of the association applied for the job vacancies recently advertised by the service.
NAN reports that the NCS began recruitment process in April, this year, to fill 3,200 vacancies of professionals in the service.
The president said most of his members were graduates hence the need to be considered in the exercise in order to be part of the system to contribute their quota.
The Public Relations Officer of the customs, Mr Joseph Attah, who received the physically challenged applicants, pledged to look into their request.
Attah assured that their request would be taken to the appropriate authority with a view to addressing it.
He advised those that applied to come and submit their printed slips at the customs’ headquarters for screening. (NAN)
MS/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Customs intercepts N5bn illicit drugs in Lagos

Customs intercepts N5bn illicit drugs in Lagos

From left the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service Joshep Attah, the Leader of CGC Strike Force in Zone ‘A’ Assistant Comptroller Usman Yahya and Assistant Comptroller Abba Kakudi while displaying the 21 trailer seizures to the newsmen on Friday in Lagos.

By Aisha Cole
Drugs
Lagos, Aug. 16, 2019 (NAN) The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 21 contraband drugs valued at over N5 billion.

The National Public Relations Officer (NPRO) of NCS, Assist. Comptroller Joseph Attah, disclosed this when he conducted newsmen round a warehouse where the trucks of the intercepted items were parked at the Ikeja Training College of the service in Lagos on Friday.
Attah said the Comptroller-General of Customs Strike Force in Zone ‘A’ made the haul,
According to him, the smugglers believe that festive period is a time of merriment and less vigilance, “but our officers intercepted the illicit drugs as the smugglers attempted to move it from Lagos to other parts of the country’’.
“On Aug. 13, at about 2 a.m, operatives of the Headquarters Strike Force Zone A intercepted a truck laden with dreaded codeine, tramadol and other controlled pain killers along Maryland, Ikeja road.
“The intercepted trailer contains illicit drugs and was immediately brought to the attention of the team leader of the force, Assist. Comptroller of Customs Usman Yahya, who deepened preliminary investigation that led to the discovery of a warehouse along Oshodi-Mile 2 road.
“The warehouse was stocked with tramadol, codeine and other unregistered pharmaceutical products without the National Agency for Foods Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) number,” Attah said.
He said the warehouse was immediately sealed with a detachment of well armed officers to guard the place.
Attah said the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), had already directed a thorough investigation with a view to bringing all those connected to the drugs to justice.
He said that evaluation of those intercepted drugs had commenced, adding that a suspect who happened to be the truck driver was apprehended and in custody for judicial process.

Economy

Ali inaugurates Customs police, charges them to enforce discipline

Ali inaugurates Customs police, charges them to enforce discipline
By Mustapha Sumaila
Customs
Abuja, July 18, 2019 (NAN) The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), has inaugurated its Police Unit with a charge to officers and men in the department to enforce discipline in the service.
Inaugurating the unit on Thursday in Abuja, Ali said one of the mandates given him by President Muhammadu Buhari was to restructure customs for effective and efficient growth, development and service delivery.
He enjoined officers in the unit to ensure all personnel of NCS complied with laws and order governing the service.
He said that there should not be a ‘sacred cow’ as the enforcement would apply to all and sundry, including high ranking officers.
“As I inaugurate you today, you must be exemplary and lead by example; therefore, you must change your attitude, utterances and conduct.
“Your enforcement starts from monitoring of officers to ensure they are well dressed, disciplined and behave in accordance with the law establishing the service.
“You can correct anybody irrespective of the rank of the officer in NCS, but you have to do that politely especially if it has to do with a very senior officer,” he said.
The customs boss noted that though there exist an enforcement unit, but their mandate was not the same as the one given to the newly inaugurated police department.
He said henceforth, the new police unit had the responsibility to arrest, detain and investigate erring personnel, adding that it also has the mandate to prevent crime in the service.
According to him, the department will be taking off simultaneously in the four zones of NCS before it will be extended to all commands.
Ali said the establishment of the police unit would make the system more robust and responsive.
The Coordinator of the customs police unit, Comptroller Muhammed Hassan, pledged to carry out the mandate given to them with all sense of responsibility, commitment and determination.
Hassan said all officers and men of the new unit had been trained to ensure and improve standard in the service. (NAN)
MS/ KOO/MST
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Customs: Doctor recommends “DCG Dalhatu” for rehabilitation

Customs: Doctor recommends “DCG Dalhatu” for rehabilitation
By Mustapha Sumaila
Rehabilitation
Abuja, July 15, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its officer, who wrongly wore his uniform with the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG), has been recommended for rehabilitation by the medical doctors who attended to him.
The Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr Joseph Attah, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
NAN reports that one Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Nura Dalhatu, appeared in the office on July 8, wearing the rank of a Deputy Comptroller-General (DCG).
Attah dismissed reports that the officer attempted to take over from the Comptroller-General, explaining that Dalhatu may be of doubtful right frame of mind.
He said from questions and answers that followed, it was obvious that the officer was not in the right frame of mind.
“So, a doctor was immediately invited and he is presently undergoing medical examination at the medical unit of the service,” he said.
Attah said that after a careful examination by the doctors, who attended to him, the officer had been recommended for rehabilitation and referred as appropriately.
He added that after the rehabilitation, a thorough investigation would be conducted as the matter had been handed over to Enforcement and Investigation Unit of the service.
“The officer is not in the right frame of mind. After the rehabilitation and necessary treatment, he will face investigation panel,” he said.
A NAN correspondent who visited the Customs Headquarters sighted Dalhatu in mufti, waiting for further directives. (NAN)
MS/KTO/MST
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Recruitment: Customs advises job seekers against bribe

Recruitment: Customs advises job seekers against bribe
By Mustapha Sumaila
Recruitment
Abuja, July 2, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has advised job seekers against offering bribe to anybody or person for recruitment into the service.
The Public Relation Officer of the service, Mr Joseph Attah, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Attah dismissed claims that some officers are collecting money as bribe from job applicants in the ongoing recruitment by the service.
He described rumours that some officials of Customs are collecting N300,000 to give offer of employment as false and baseless.
NAN recalls that NCS opened its portal on April 17, for the recruitment of 3,200 officers and men of the service, but 524,315 applicants have so far successfully completed their application process.
Reacting to the development, Attah said that those peddling the rumour must have fell into the hands of fraudsters because no officer in the service would collect money from job applicants.
He therefore urged the general public, especially job seekers, to be wary of fraudsters and not to fall into the hands of such unscrupulous elements.
According to him, since the beginning of the recruitment, the exercise has been open and transparent and will remain so until completion period.
Attah said the recruitment was still ongoing and the service had not invited candidates for any examination or interview. (NAN)
MS/KOLE/MST
Edited by Remi Koleoso/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Customs discovers new method of smuggling rice

Customs discovers new method of smuggling rice
By Yakubu Uba
NAN-H-27
Rice
Mubi (Adamawa), Dec. 20, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has uncovered new methods of smuggling rice at the commercial border town of Mubi in Adamawa.
The Adamawa/Taraba Area Comptroller of the service, Mr Adetoye Francis, said this while inspecting a tipper lorry truck and two tricycles loaded with suspected smuggled rice in Mubi town on Wednesday.
Francis warned smugglers that the service under the present administration has zero tolerance for any act of economic sabotage.
He said that the command had identified new ways smugglers adopted to conduct their nefarious activities such as using tipper lorries carrying sand with bags of rice beneath the sand in an attempt to deceive custom officials.
“They (smugglers) are using the cover of on-going construction work going on in Mubi by using tippers meant for conveying sand for smuggling by covering the items with sand.
“The lorry you are seeing here was arrested along the Mubi-Sahuda border road with 52 bags of rice covered with sand,” Francis said.
He commended the officers and men of the Mubi office of the command for their commitment to check smuggling at the border town and assured them of support at all time.
The comptroller, who also addressed some members of Mubi business community, cautioned them on the dangers of smuggling on the economy and the consequences if caught.
Earlier, the Officer-in-Charge of Mubi Unit, Mr Aliyu Bunza, who narrated the successes recorded by the unit in checking the activities of smugglers around the border town, lauded the support and cooperation the command is receiving from other security operatives in the area.
Also speaking, some representatives of Mubi business community, Alhaji Sanusi Hassan and Malam Sali Manaja, declared support of their members to customs’ effort to check smuggling.
They promised to continue to educate their members against smuggling. (NAN)
YMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Customs officer arraigned for trafficking 394kg of Hemp

Customs officer arraigned for trafficking 394kg of Hemp
NAN-H-70
Hemp
By Sandra Umeh
Lagos, June 22, 2017 (NAN) A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the remand in custody of a Customs officer, Emmanuel Ugwoke, charged with drug trafficking.

Ugwoke, a resident of Badagry in Lagos, is said to have been dismissed from service, and had served at the Seme border post of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

He was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on two counts of drug trafficking.

He was alleged to have unlawfully trafficked about 394 kg of Cannabis Sativa a. k. a Hemp.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution alleged that he committed the offence on May 14, at Gbaji Customs check point along Seme-Badagry Road.

The accused who is said to be a driver of the Customs vehicle, was alleged to have knowingly transported the prohibited ‘weed’ in a Toyota Hilux belonging to the NCS.

The prosecutor, Mr Aliyu Abubakar, said that the offences contravened the provisions of sections 19, 20(1)(a) and 20 (2) of the NDLEA Act. Cap N30 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

After his plea, the prosecutor urged the court to order the remand of the accused in prison custody while he sought for a trial date.

Meanwhile, counsel to the accused, Chief Benson Ndakara, pleaded with the court to admit the accused to bail on liberal terms.

He told the court that he had filed a motion for bail and same had been served on the prosecution who had also responded accordingly.

In a short ruling, Justice Rabiu Shagari, ordered the remand of the accused in custody and adjourned till Sept. 28, to decide his bail application.

The NDLEA Act provides for a term of life imprisonment if found guilty of the offence of drug trafficking. (NAN)
UNS/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Customs handover 2 containers of pirated drugs to NAFDAC

Customs handover 2 containers of pirated drugs to NAFDAC

NAN-H-15
Handover
By Aisha Cole/Uche Eletuo
Lagos, June 6, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday in Lagos handed over two containers of pirated films and restricted drugs to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Comptroller Lami Wushishi, the Customs Area Controller, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, handed over the consignments to NAFDAC at the premises of the command.

She said that the two containers marked PCIU 829442-6 and MRKU 416397-2 originated from China.

“The pharmaceutical products are restricted drugs by NAFDAC and the Customs and Excise Management Act Cap. C45 LFN 2004, Section 167(2) directs that such consignment should be disposed-off in such a manner as deemed appropriate.

“Therefore, the consignment is handed over to the appropriate agency within the country for proper disposal,” Wushishi said.

She urged stakeholders at the ports to honestly declare the goods they import as this forms the basis for trade data and analysis that directs operational decision with consequences on economy as well as national security.

Wushishi said that the command would continue to cooperate with other sister agencies to enforce compliance with fiscal policies, while promoting trade facilitation.

She pledged the commitment of officers and men of the command to support the Comptroller-General of Customs’ agenda to facilitate trade and remain responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians.

Wushishi urged NAFDAC to engage the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on the intercepted pirated CD films.

The News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that the two containers are laden with Augmentin 625mg, pirated films and Laclox, a restricted drug that is injurious to people.

The Deputy Director of NAFDAC in charge of Compliance and Enforcement, Mrs Oluwatoyin Emmanuel, said that the agency would still conduct 100 per cent examination on the drugs received from the Customs Service.

“We will also take the drugs to laboratory after we have analysed the contents and we are going to investigate further by getting in touch with the port of origin.

“The laboratory result will determine our next line of action on how to apprehend the importer and the agent,” Emmanuel said.

She said that the agency would try its best to stop smuggling of unregistered products into the country with the support of other security agencies. (NAN)
AIC/EUC/AOS/MST
Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Economy

Customs, other agencies explore areas of collaboration

Customs, other agencies explore areas of collaboration

NAN-H-10

Customs

By Aisha Cole

Lagos, May 23, 2017 (NAN) Comptroller Emmanuel Edede, the Customs Area Controller, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, Lagos, has urged stakeholders at the airport to collaborate to carry out fiscal and economic policies of the Federal Government.

Edede made the plea during courtesy visits to heads of Federal Government agencies at the airport on Tuesday.

The controller said his visits were meant to seek the cooperation and understanding of other agencies so that the service could effectively carry out its duties at the airport, while also giving support to other agencies.

Edede said that no agency of government could achieve anything by working alone.

He, therefore, appealed to all agencies to support the Customs, Murtala Muhammed Command, especially in the area of revenue collection and suppression of smuggling at the airport.

The controller noted that all government agencies had their mandates to implement.

“To achieve this, all agencies of government need to collaborate by sharing timely intelligence that could assist them in carrying out their duties.

“In Adamawa where I am coming from, the military and para-military agencies had a good inter-agency relationship. Intelligence was promptly shared, especially as regards smuggling and Boko Haram.

“This to a large extent helped to improve revenue and reduced smuggling significantly,’’ Edede said.

The controller visited the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Foods, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

All heads of agencies at the airport pledged to accord Customs all necessary support in the discharge of their duties.

The controller also met with officials of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) as well as their members in an interactive session.

 

The Customs agents pledged to work with the controller in order to ensure trade facilitation at the command.

He assured the agents of an open-door policy and told them to feel free to see him anytime they have complaints.

Edede, however, said the agents must obey the rules and regulations, do honest declarations and avoid cutting corners if they want to enjoy Customs’ support.

He said if all stakeholders could meet all requirements by making honest declarations and paying appropriate duty on their cargoes, there shall be no delays in cargo clearance.

“We have a clear mandate on revenue, which we shall not compromise.

“As long as the right thing is done, I can assure you that no officer will delay your cargo,’’ the controller said. (NAN)

AIC/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola