From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 3,365 parcels and 75 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, alongside 88 cartons of codeine cough syrup intercepted by its operatives, to the authorities of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The illicit drugs were part of significant seizures made by the command.
The Area Controller of Ogun 1 Area Command of NCS, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu, while showing newsmen around the seizures on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, disclosed that other intercepted contrabands included 2,145 bags—an equivalent of four trailer trucks—of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kg, illegally imported into Nigeria. He put the Duty Payable Value (DPV) of the seized bags of rice at N279.5m.
Other prohibited items among the seizures are 612 bales of second-hand clothing, 843 units of used pneumatic tyres, and a total of 6,625 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, being smuggled out of the country. Shuaibu further disclosed that the command was able to generate a total of N9.694m as revenue realised from baggage assessment, as well as auction sales of the earlier intercepted PMS “because of the highly inflamable nature of the item.”
The Ogun 1 Controller handed over the intercepted illicit drugs to the head of the NDLEA, Deputy Commander of Narcotics Alexander Nyigide, who led a team of six narcotics agents to represent Commander Tijani Rabe “for proper disposal and further investigation.”
Speaking during the handing over of the items to NDLEA officials in the spirit of inter-agency cooperation, CAC Shuaibu said the items being handed over reflected the ongoing efforts of the command at curbing “the distribution of illegal narcotics within the country, which posed significant threats to the health and safety of our citizens.”
“These actions send a clear and unequivocal message to those who engage in illegal activities: the operatives of Ogun 1 Command will continue to carry out their statutory responsibilities with dedication, ensuring that such illegal enterprises do not thrive in our area of responsibility.
“We will remain relentless in our fight against smugglers. Every tactic employed by criminals to circumvent security checks will be futile, as our intelligence network, systematic monitoring, and operational mechanisms are robust and effective in identifying and tracking these economic saboteurs and their sponsors.
“I take this opportunity to call on the public to continue supporting the Command in its fight against smuggling. It is only through collective effort that we can safeguard our country and realize the vision of our founding fathers.
“Our primary focus will always remain on ensuring that our borders are secure and that national interests are protected. This also includes ensuring compliance with international trade agreements and safeguarding our national security,” he submitted.