Customs impound 6,194 bags of rice in Ogun

A total of 6,194 bags of smuggled rice and other contraband worth over N382million have been impounded by the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Stating this on Tuesday, was the state NCS Comptroller, Micheal Agbara, at a press briefing held at Idiroko border office, that 33 vehicles, 395 kegs of vegetable oil (25 litres each), 340 kegs of petrol, 1,954 pairs of footwear and seven bales of secondhand clothing.

Agbara said other items were 45 cartons of frozen poultry products, 150 cartons of Ceres red grape juice and five cartons of Ribena Currant juice valued at N382, 263,360 all seized in the month of August.

The Customs boss noted that no fewer than 27,085 bags of rice which had exceeded the 21,789 bags impounded in the previous year.

“The anti-smuggling success story is a blow to smugglers who wanted to exploit the avenue of Sallah festivities to perpetuate their illicit act and orchestration to the fact that officers and men of Ogun command have fulfilled the promise of curtailing the activities of economic saboteurs,” he said.

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He further said that the Command had handed over 11,057 bags of rice and other perishable items to the internally displaced persons to Borno State through the Nigerian Army Corps of Transport and Logistics following the directive of the headquarters.

He added: “The command equally participated in a joint operation which has led to the seizure of the large quantity of petrol in a creek at Ijoun in which the quantity is yet to be ascertained due to ongoing evacuation.

“We wish to commend the patriotic role of our sister agencies, traditional leaders, eminent personalities and some host communities who have always partnered with us in our quest to effectively perform our statutory functions in compliance with extant government policies.”