N200 million worth of contraband seized by NCS in two months in Zone ‘D’

From Paul Orude, Bauchi

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone “D” Bauchi, has seized contrabands worth over N200 million.

The Public Relations Officer, NCS, FOU, Bauchi, Umar Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in the state on Monday.

Abdullahi said the contraband was seized from August to date by various patrol teams of the FOU.

The FOU, comprises Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Plateau, Benue, Gombe, and Nasarawa States, with headquarters in Bauchi.

The items seized include 542 bags of 50 kilogrammes of foreign parboiled rice, four sacks containing 165 kilogrammes of pangolin shells, 487 bags of Urea fertilizer and 250 cartons of foreign spaghetti, he said.

Others are 191 bales of second-hand clothing, 110 Jerrycans of Petroleum Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol, 70 cartons of foreign soaps, and 32 Jerrycans of 25 litres of Kerosine.

Other items include 130 Jerry Cans of 20 litres of engine oil and 10 bags of dried donkey skins.

Abdullahi said that no fewer than seven vehicles of different brands used in conveying the prohibited items were impounded by the operatives of the Unit.

According to him, the actions of the Customs operatives are in line with the provisions of Section 8 and Section 158 (Power to Patrol Freely) of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended.

The PRO said that the unprecedented seizures within this short time were achieved as a result of sharing of information, intelligence gathering and doggedness of the Officers and Men of the federal Operations Unit Zone D in making the zone unbearable for smugglers.

“Let me use this medium to plead with well-meaning Nigerians to assist in providing genuine information that could aid in eradicating the menace of smuggling in the zone and the country at large,” he said.

“They have to know that eradicating smuggling in this country will boost the economy which will make the Federal Government provide social amenities to the citizenry.”

He warned smugglers to desist from their criminal activities.

“The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone ‘D’ under the able leadership of the Comptroller, Musa Ibrahim Jalo, will not relent in its efforts at ridding the zone of smugglers,” he assured.