The Headquarters of Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi Area Command, Birnin-Kebbi, on Tuesday, said it has recorded numerous successes in the areas of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and suppression of smuggling.
Customs Area Controller in charge of Kebbi Command, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo made this known while briefing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi.
Comptroller Oramalugo narrated how he implemented new measures that assisted the Command in stemming the tide of smuggling and increased revenue generation.
“In particular, we brought all our trading communities on board in a deliberate and conscious effort to forge common ground. In all the meetings we held, I stressed the need for compliance and I enjoined them to adhere strictly to extant guidelines on the import and export of goods.” Oramalugo said.
On the areas of revenue generation, the Area Controller said that the Command was able to generate a sum of ₦144,862,372 – which represents a 164% increase based on their monthly target.
He expressed optimism that the Command will generate the sum of ₦1,058,702,466 in revenue in the coming months.
“We are now exploring ways how to address a major challenge identified by our stakeholders of multiple taxations from our neighboring countries before their goods arrive at Kamba, the only border currently open under this Command.” He added.
In the area of fighting against smuggling, the Command had in the wee hours of Wednesday, received an intelligence report of smuggling activities of PMS at an AP filling station in Yauri Local Government of Kebbi State, which prompted the men of the Nigeria Customs Service to launch an attack on the scene and completely stopped the illegal activity and sealed up the filling station.
The joint patrol teams, upon arriving at the filling station, engaged in skilled mode operation by cordoning off the entire area, sealing the filling station, and started the evacuation of all the kegs of PMS already loaded for onward smuggling out of the country through one of the waterways in Yauri.
“We were able to eventually evacuate three hundred and four (304) kegs of PMS of 25 liters each, sealed up the filling station along with (6) petrol tankers inside. An investigation is now ongoing.”
According to him, the total seizures made during the period under review were: 16,375 liters of Premium Motor Spirit, 210 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 34 bales of second-hand clothes, and 109 cartons of confectionaries, among others with Duty Paid Value of ₦23,141,803.
Comptroller Oramalugo, however, cautioned the smugglers in Kebbi State to desist from their nefarious activities, threatening that severe punishment will be given to the perpetrators of such acts.
He restated that men of the Nigeria Customs Service will not fold their arms and watch filling stations used as a conduit pipe for smuggling petrol out of the country.
