•• Kwara is No Safe Haven for Illegal Trade, Says Acting Comptroller Najeem Ogundeyi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kwara Area Command, has dealt a massive blow to economic saboteurs with the seizure of various prohibited items, including illegally mined minerals and food items, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦478,171,315.00.
Presiding over a press briefing on Wednesday, the Acting Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Akanmu Ogundeyi, revealed that the interceptions were a result of intelligence-driven enforcement actions aimed at protecting national food security and local industries.
The Command’s renewed operational strategy led to the interception of several high-value items across the Alapa, Bode Saadu, Eiyenkorin, and Bukuro axes.
According to the Acting Area Controller, the Breakdown of the Intercepted Items Includes:
Foreign Parboiled Rice: 1,107 bags (50kg each) plus 9 vehicles fully loaded with the commodity, Illegally Mined Minerals consisting 120 sacks of Lithium Ore intercepted at the Alapa/Banni area, 5 units of second-hand (Tokunbo) vehicles, 317 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) destined for illegal cross-border smuggling, 68 sacks/bales of second-hand clothing, 222 units of used compressors, and 44 bags of imported sugar.
“Regrettably, despite our warnings, criminal elements continue to engage in acts of economic sabotage. I wish to state unequivocally that such unlawful activities have consistently been met with firm and decisive enforcement actions,” DC Ogundeyi added
He added that despite the focus on anti-smuggling, the Command has remained a critical revenue hub for the Federal Government, where he also announced that the Command generated a total revenue of Two Billion, Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Million, Five Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety Naira (₦2,527,531,290.00) through Excise activities within the period under review.
The Controller attributed this success to the sustained commitment of his officers in ensuring compliance within the excise sector.
The Custom Boss expressed his profound gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR, Ph.D.), for his unwavering support and empowerment, while commending the synergy between the Kwara Command and other security agencies, noting that intelligence sharing remains the backbone of their successes.
He further urged border communities and the general public to desist from illegal trade and support the Federal Government’s policy on local rice production.
“The fight against smuggling is not the responsibility of the Nigeria Customs Service alone. We must safeguard our national economy and protect local industries for the benefit of future generations,” he concluded.
