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From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Customs Area Controller, Ogun 1 Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, said the visit of the Acting Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to the command, would serve as a motivation for the operatives of the command to raise their performance tempo.
Makinde, who noted that though his men and officers had always been diligent and steadfast in their fight against economic sabotage by smugglers, the visit of the Acting CG, last Sunday, would further spur and encourage his men and officers to sustain and improve their anti-smuggling stance.
The controller said this in a statement signed on his behalf by Hammed Bukoye Oloyede, the Public Relations Officer, Ogun 1 Area Command, copies of which were made available to newsmen yesterday, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Makinde said the command, under his watch, has continued to sustain its performance on the mandate of revenue generation, trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling.
He said the command generated a sum of N13,370,229.00 in the month of July as revenue, from baggage assessment and proceeds from auction sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). He, however, commended the compliant travellers for their honesty and patriotism, which made part of the generated revenue a reality.
“In the area of anti-smuggling activities, the command made a seizure of 2,113 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, 21 units of vehicles (means of conveyance and Tokunbo); 17,950 litres of PMS and 1,416 pieces of used tyres, among others. The seizures were made from different locations across Ogun State and were mainly intelligence-driven. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is N106,757,592.00,” he added.
The Customs boss further pointed out that Ogun 1 Area Command’s activities in Ogun State conformed with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, with various sections and subsections which empower Customs’ operatives to carry out patrol freely in the exercise of their duties in enforcing Customs & Excise Laws, making seizures/detention, and arrest of suspects in connection with smuggling activities.
“The Act also prescribes various punishments on trade-related matters. Examples of such are obstruction of officers, hindrance, molestation or assaults on officers while on lawful duty as well as preventing seizure of items, or arrest of a suspect which attracts a fine of N5,000,000.00, imprisonment for five years or both,” Makinde stressed.
While emphasising that the Acting Comptroller-General’s visit to Ogun would be a morale booster to men and officers of the command, the Area Controller commended his operatives for their immense contributions to the laudable achievements of the command. He consequently charged them to remain resolute in the discharge of their duties, which, according to him, must be done with courtesy without loss of dignity.
Makinde, who noted that the command’s stakeholders’ engagement would continue to be brought to bear, equally lauded sister agencies for their collaboration and joint fight against economic saboteurs.
