Kwara State area command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has intercepted and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition worth over one million naira.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Hussaini Bello Ahmed, who described the seizure as epic, said that the large quantity of ammunition was packaged in 25 packs of 25 rounds each, and contained in 14 cartons.
The Customs boss, who said that a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure, added that the seizure was made around the border community of Bukuro axis of the command in the Baruten local government area of Kwara state.
“Based on intelligence report, the command intercepted a Peugeot 504 vehicle with registration number AP 448 AKD. On searching the vehicle, it was found to contain a large number of pump-action cartridges suspected to be smuggled into the country. Section 149 of Customs and excise Management Act (CEMA) of April 1958 Cap 45 LFN 2004 (as amended) gives Customs officers powers to search vehicles/ships.
It might also interest you to know that Arms and Ammunition are classified under schedule 4 of ABSOLUTE PROHIBITION LIST of the Common External Tariff of Nigeria Customs Service.
“This epic seizure is very commendable at the backdrop of the heightened insecurity in the country. Should 3,620 rounds of live ammunition of this magnitude escape into the country and fall into wrong hands, the result will be appalling, devastating and disastrous.
Speaking on the achievement recorded in 2021, Comptroller Ahmed said that the command generated and remitted over N9 billion (N9, 848,505,922.48) from January 2021 to December 2021.
He said that the amount of money generated surpassed the revenue generated in the year 2020 with N2, 942,090,047.48.
“Under my leadership as the pioneer, Customs Area Controller from July 2019 to December 2021 (that is about 29 months) the command has generated and remitted the sum of N19,159,240, 134.19 to the federation account.
“Within the period under review, the command has recorded 101 seizures as against the corresponding year 2020 with 84 seizures.
These include:
2,971 Bags of foreign parboiled Rice.
3,620 live cartridges as earlier mentioned above with a suspect.
420 Jeri cans of PMS.
39 Used Vehicles.
20 Jeri cans of Vegetable Oil.
17 Motorcycles used as a means of conveyance of foreign parboiled Rice and PMS.
“A total of (5) Suspects arrested within the period under review were released on administrative bail.
The Total Duty Paid Value (DPV) is Ninety-Nine Million Nine Hundred and fifteen thousand fifty Naira (N99,915,050).
This shows that from 2019 till date, the command has recorded 199 seizures with a duty paid value of 487,748,850.
The highest contraband items seized within the period is 6,958 bags of foreign parboiled Rice which is over and above 11 trailer loads of rice.
“The above achievements are an indication that officers and men of the command are not lowering their guards in stemming the tide of the nefarious activities perpetrated by smugglers.”
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