Joint border operations seize 1,212 fertilizer bags, intercept 15 Benin Republic nationals

The anti-smuggling task force, Joint Border Drill Operations in the North Central zone has seized 1,212 bags of fertilizer with a duty paid value of about N17 million (N16, 968,000.00) among other 110 different items in two months.

Speaking with journalists on activities of the border operations in Ilorin on Tuesday, the coordinator of the operations, Mohammed Garba, raised the alarm that unscrupulous people use fertilizer to produce explosives rather than agricultural purposes.

“The Federal Government discouraged the importation of fertilizer because of some unscrupulous elements in Nigeria who import them not for the agricultural purposes but to perpetrate evil acts. Based on this, clearance for the importation of fertilizer must obtain approval through the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“The Federal Government has banned the importation of fertilizer because of its high explosive nature. For those who follow history very well, the devastating fire outbreak at Beirut, Lebanon that killed over 100 people and destroyed an entire community was caused by ammonium nitrate (one of the chemical compounds used in manufacturing fertilizer),” he said.

The assistant comptroller general of the Customs, who chided border communities for aiding smugglers, advised host communities and local dwellers to stop seeing smuggling as a means of livelihood.

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“I want to appeal to border communities most especially Bokoru, Alapa, Chikanda and Babanna axis to eschew from smuggling and not allow their towns to be used by smugglers. Community leaders in these areas should rise up to the challenge and cooperate with the sector to checkmate the activities of those who are into illegal businesses, who use their environs as safe routes and hiding places,” he said.

Garba, who lamented that smuggling “is gradually becoming a huge industry, accepting all comers, attracting the greedy and absorbing the get-rich-quick criminals”, said that, “our youths today do not see smuggling as a crime. If you ask our youths today to mention the types of crimes bedevilling our society, I bet you, the only thing you will hear is robbery, murder, fraud, kidnapping and money laundering. You will hardly hear them mentioning smuggling as a crime because some see it as a normal business or a way of life.

“I want to charge the youth not to allow themselves to be deceived by engaging in smuggling activities which could lead to prison if caught but rather consider areas such as agricultural sector and small and medium enterprises where they can make legitimate earnings.”

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The coordinator said that other seizures include 2, 794 bags of foreign rice equivalent to 46 trailers, 114 cartons of HIV drugs without NAFDAC number, 55 units of various type of used vehicles, 118 bales of second-hand clothing, 22 units of used tyres, 13 bags of foreign sugar, 608 drums of PMS, 469 jeri cans of 25 litres of AGO, 17 motorcycles, 81 cartons of foreign Juice, 17 cartons of foreign natural water, 20 jerri cans of 25 litres of vegetable oil, 31 bags of local maize, 17 bags of local beans, total duty paid value – N127,222,800.00.

“We have arrested 13 suspects in connection with seized goods but were given administrative bail. A total of 15 Benin Republic nationals, who entered the country through bush path via Kabour-Okuta-Taso road were equally intercepted and repatriated. Finally, since border operations, the sector 3 has seized 23,449 bags of rice.”