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From John Adams Minna
The Niger/Kogi Area Command if the Nigerian Customs has said that no fewer than seven suspected smugglers were apprehended in December 2023 while attempting to smuggle prohibited items through it land border in into the country.
The Comptroller in charge of Niger/Kogi area command, Busayo O. Kadejo who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Minna on Tuesday on the activities of the command in the year under review said that a total of 65 seizures with a cumulative duty paid value of N203,301,933:00 were made in 2023.
Mr. Badejo pointed out that the sized items includes exotic cars, second hand cloths, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), rice among others.
He stated further that in December 2023 alone, the command intercepted eight exotic cars, 35 Jerry-cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) among other items with a duty paid value of N194,780,000, adding that in addition to this, the command also recovered a total sum of N12,605,439.00 principally from Demand Notices (D/Na).
According to him, cumulatively the command recovered a total of N77,271,851:00 from Demand Notices (D/Ns) within the period under review, stressing that the Niger/Kogi Area Command is the largest interland border in the country with only one border at banana in Borgu local government area of Niger State.
To achieve this success, the Customs Boss said the command deployed massive intelligence and applied the rules of engagement, adding that the command recorded no casualty on the side of his personnel between January and December 2023.
He therefore warned smugglers and other criminally minded elements within the command that the Nigerian Customs will not spare anyone no matter how highly placed, stressing that “our job is to execute government policies. We will discover all their illegal routes and ways used in smuggling, we will make seizures, effects arrests, and crippled their illegal operations”.
While appealing to the border communities within the command to avail his men with useful information on the activities of smugglers, the Comptroller commended other sister security agencies for the robust synergy and working relationship with the command.
