The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Zone A Federal Operations Unit (FOU) in Ikeja, Lagos State, has announced the conviction of 11 individuals for assaulting officers of the Service while on duty.
At a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, the acting Customs Area Comptroller (CAC) of the Unit, Ag. Compt. Hussein Ejibunu, revealed that the culprits were also found guilty of possessing smuggled foreign parboiled rice and Pangolin scales for export.
Ejibunu further shared that within the past six months, the unit has also intercepted 62 truck-loads of foreign parboiled rice and 218,575 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, worth N4.02 billion that were illegally brought into the country from neighboring Benin Republic.
He stated, “Through the Federal High Courts, 11 suspects were convicted for offenses related to improper importation, assault of Customs officers, possession of foreign parboiled rice, and possession of Pangolin scales meant for export. Other cases related to smuggling are currently being prosecuted in different stages in various courts and will be diligently followed up.”
“We express our gratitude to other security agencies for their unwavering cooperation during our operations. Special thanks to the Oyo State Command of the Department of State Security Services for arresting a notorious suspect who was on the wanted list for attacking a Customs patrol team escorting exhibits. Interestingly, this suspect was apprehended and handed over to the Unit yesterday (Tuesday),” he continued.
Ejibunu also disclosed that in the past six months, they seized various contraband items from the hideouts of smugglers in Lagos and Ogun states. These items included 14,015 parcels of Indian Hemp, 1,064 bales of used clothing, 450 drums of carbide, 2 containers of unprocessed wood, and 1,448 pieces of foreign rugs.
In addition, they confiscated 30 used motorcycles, 44 foreign used vehicles, 860 cartons of foreign poultry products, and 833 used tyres.
He added that the contraband items were seized in the South Western region of the country, highlighting that the foreign parboiled rice were transported through bush paths using motorcycles and old vehicles.
“During the first six months of the year, our operations resulted in significant seizures with a high volume and value. We also successfully prevented the entry of illicit drugs and other harmful substances into society.
“Our strategic intervention also led to the recovery of revenue through the issuance of demand notices to importers and their agents who were evading duties, thereby ensuring that the underpaid duties were paid into the federal government coffers,” Ejibunu stated.
“During this period, we made 580 seizures with a duty-paid value of N4,022,960,075. We arrested 60 suspects and recovered a total of N400,599,515.66 as revenue through the issuance of demand notices.
“We express our gratitude to other security agencies for their unwavering cooperation during our operations. Special thanks to the Oyo State Command of the Department of State Security Services for arresting a notorious suspect who was on the wanted list for attacking a Customs patrol team escorting exhibits. Interestingly, this suspect was apprehended and handed over to the Unit yesterday.
“One of the noteworthy seizures is rice, which amounts to 36,742 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 62 truck loads. Some of them were transported through bush paths using motorcycles and old vehicles as means of conveyance,” he added.
Ejibunu also revealed that in the second half of the year, the fight against smuggling will be intensified.
He urged the trading community to familiarize themselves with the import and export prohibition list and warned that claiming ignorance will not be an excuse.
“Let me emphasize that in the second half of 2023, we will intensify our efforts against smugglers and use intelligence-based enforcement to expose them. We will apprehend and prosecute defiant traders and their agents, in addition to confiscating their goods.
“At this point, we advise members of the trading community to ensure compliance and refrain from any actions that could put them on the wrong side of the law. They should stay informed about the import and export prohibition lists because ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse when they are caught,” he concluded.