Kebbi: Smugglers forfeit goods worth N323m to Customs

Kebbi State Customs Command has in the third quarter of this year impounded smuggle goods worth N323.06 million from smugglers, just as the command generated N36.25 million revenue in the same quarter of the year under review.

Comptroller of Customs, Kebbi State Command, Iheanacho Ernest Ojike while briefing journalist at a press conference at the Command Head quarters in Birnin-Kebbi attributed the low revenue generate by his Command to a lot of challenges in the area of import through the only official border in Kamba.

Controller Ojike was however optimistic that as the efforts his Command put in place continue to translate to positive outcome, there is hope to record steady rise in the Command revenue in the coming months.

He appreciate the efforts of ‘whirlwind Team’ which he described as a special team creates by the Comptroller General of Customs and tasked with the sole responsibility of curbing the menace of petroleum smuggling.

The Kebbi Command according to him, recorded series of successes as Officers and men continue to stive hard to get rid of smuggling activities within Kebbi State.

The Customs boss explained that during the period under review, the seizure made were, 367 bales of secondhand clothings, 16,300 litres of petroleum (PMS), 74 cartons of different medicaments, 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each.

Others are, 180 pieces of donkey skin bundle in nine sack, 2 liters of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each and one unit DAF truck and a Toyota Corolla car as means of conveyance.

“It may interest you to know that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure and have been granted administrative bail in compliance with the provision of the constitution pending further investigation and proper trial of their case.”

“Furthermore, i will like to use this medium to warn smugglers and their syndicates that our Officers and men are well positioned and equipped to scuttle all their activities, therefore, we urged them to abstain from their nefarious act. Kebbi must be freed from any smuggling activities,” he pleaded.