Customs Recovers N72.4m From Importers At Lagos Seaports

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has recovered N72.4 million from fraudulent importers and clearing agents who underpaid Customs duty to the federal Clearing Agents government at the two seaports in Lagos.

Speaking at the media briefing in Lagos, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Compt. Kola Oladeji stated that the Comptroller General of the Service, Adewale Adeniyi, since coming onboard, has rolled out a number of trade facilitation tools to help boost the nation’s revenue and grow the economy.

“The unit recovered a total sum of N72.4 million through the issuance of Demand Notices (DN) as a result of the irregular declaration of consignments. The unit will continue to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as it relates to the import and export of goods to prevent revenue losses,” he said.

Also, the unit announced the interception of contraband worth N1.72 billion from smugglers in the last one month.

The contraband seized are 3,832 bags of 50kg Foreign Parboiled Rice, equivalent to 7 trucks; 27 Units of used vehicles,s, also known as tokunbo vehicles; 494 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 14,820 litres; 27 bales of used clothing.

Others are 95 bags of charcoal; 3,643kg of Cannabis Sativa and 6 suspects arrested in connection with all the seizures.

According to Compt. Oladeji, the unit will continue to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as it relates to import and export goods to prevent revenue losses.

“The operatives of FOU ‘A’ have intensified surveillance of our borders within the South Western States. This onslaught is against the activities of economic saboteurs in areas of the service. Key Performance Indicators (KPI), which include revenue generation, suppression of smuggling and facilitation of legitimate trade, have continued to record significant successes through our ongoing operations code named ‘Swift Sting Operations’ and the efforts of other patrol teams.

“During the period under review, the unit recorded milestones in its anti-smuggling operations. Some of these landmark achievements comprise 82 interceptions.

“These seizures have a cumulative DPV) of N1.72 billion. The successes recorded so far this year were not made on a platter of gold, it took the painstaking efforts of our officers who spent hours on patrol and surveillance of our borders to achieve these seizures.

“Let me reiterate that we will not relent on our oars. Our resolve commitment to tame the activities of illegal trans-border trade and other crimes remains sacrosanct. The unit will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public on the social/ economic implications of smuggling as well as performing the statutory function of enforcing compliance in line with government fiscal policy.”

“The Customs CG, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, since coming on board, has rolled out a number of trade facilitation tools to help boost our revenue and grow the economy.

“Trade facilitation tools such as Time Release Study (TRS), Advance Ruling and the recently launched Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) have increasingly boosted investors’ confidence and efficiency of customs operations.

“ This unit has since keyed into these laudable initiatives of the CGC by collapsing some patrol teams operating within the Lagos metropolis. This is aimed at removing unnecessary trade impediments and facilitates a business-friendly environment,” he stated.