CAC Nnadi fielding questions from journalists at the press briefing.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has the premier role when it comes to the performance of the statutory functions as provided in the Customs and Excise Management Act. The Command which now houses the pilot scheme of the Time Release Study (TRS) (an effort to measure the time it takes for a cargo to move from when it is off-loaded from the ship up until when it gets to the warehouse) is headed by Comptroller Dera Anselm Nnadi, a highly assiduous, hard nosed management and public relations guru who has also traversed the different departments of the Service.
The Command Friday held a press briefing to inform the public about their performance over the past two and half months as the opportunity was also used to showcase some of its recent seizures and to hand over some seized illicit substances to the Tin Can Island Port Commander of Narcotics, the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Aminu Abubakar.
Parts of the texts delivered by Comptroller Nnadi reads “The year 2024 is a year we have tagged with the theme ‘The Year of the Stakeholders’ which aligns with the theme for the International Customs Day ‘Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose’. This is in tandem with the fundamental pillars of the Comptroller General of Customs’ vision of Collaboration, Consolidation and Innovation”.
CAC Nnadi displaying some of the seized rifles and ammunition.
The command recorded a total collection of Two Hundred and Thirty Billion, Three Hundred and Two Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Three Thousand, Twenty Three Naira, Forty Seven Kobo (N240,302,743,023.47) for the period of January 2024 as at the day.
The command collected a total of Eighty Eight Billion, Four Hundred and Thirty Million, One Hundred and Twenty Six thousand, One Hundred and Twenty Two Naira, Seventy Two Kobo (N88,430,126,122.72k) only in the month of January 2024, this is 107.89% higher than the value of Forty Two Billion, Five Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand, Thirty Eight Naira and Eleven kobo (N42,536,336,038.11k) for the month of January 2023.
In the month of February 2024, the command generated One Hundred Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Nine Million,Three Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Seven Naira, Seventy One Kobo (N100,399,354,887.71k) this is 141.82% higher than the value collected on the same period in 2023 which is Forty One Billion, Five Hundred and Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty Nine Naira and Nine Kobo(N41,518,738,649.09k).
CAC Nnadi performing the hand over of seized heroine and Cannabis Indica to Mohammad Aminu Abubakar of the NDLEA at the event.
In the month of March 2023, the command recorded the sum of Forty Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Three Million, One Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty Four Naira, Eleven Kobo (N42,473,262,013.00k) collected from 1st – 13th March 2024.
The CAC detailed that “the command’s anti-smuggling drive has not relented in its efforts in any way and that being the lead agency at the port, the Enforcement unit has coordinated several 100% physical examination under my supervision in collaboration with critical stakeholders to ensure that the command is freed of any form of non-compliance to international trade”.
The items seized include.
12 pieces of rifles and 6 pistols.
Others are:
(a) Two (2) packets of 50pcs of 9mm live ammunition, totalling 100 rounds of ammunition in this order.
(b) Twenty-three packets weighing 23kg of psychotropic substance confirmed to be heroine and also Cannabis Indica.
i. Marked white 999– Ten (10) packets of 1kg each=10kg
ii. Marked white 888– Three (3) packets of 1kg each =3kg
iii. Marked blue Saphire— Eight (8) packets of 1kg each = 8kg
iv. Marked 777 Bentley— Two (2) packets of 1kg each=2kg
Other items seized are.
i. Flat screen Television set.
ii. HP printer.
iii. Six (6) cartons containing scanner machines.
iv. Five (5) empty metal Jerry cans.
v. Two (2) washing machines
vi. Three (3) sets of bed frames.
vii. One (1) set of living room furniture.
viii. Three (3) used micro wave.
ix. One (1) used vacuum cleaner.
x. Table tennis.
xi. One (1) sport bicycle.
xii. Two wooden crates of light fittings.
xiii. One (1) wooden crate containing a motorized toy car.
xiv. DSTV dish.
xv. One (1) used Samsung refrigerator.
xvi. Four (4) sets of used sound systems.
xvii. One (1) used barbecue grill.
xviii. Two (2) used toasters
xix. Three (3) used blenders.
xx. Sixteen (16) bags containing used clothes and personal effects.
During the question and answer time, CAC Nnadi said that he hopes the efforts that has led to the sanity on the major Port access road is maintained, he added that training and retraining are parts of what makes for professionalism in the Service and that it will continue to happen.
On the pilot scheme of the Time Release Study which is being presently experimented at the Command, Comptroller Nnadi says that the Study has the time frame of six months and hopes that after the Study, a reduced amount of time commonly called cargo dwell time would have been drastically brought down to some hours in a hour.
CAC Nnadi displaying a pepper spray gun with canister also seized.
Comptroller Nnadi informed that non-tarrif barriers to trade by non-state actors is a major problem of a developing economy like our’s especially in a place like Lagos and that it may take time to really completely stop these activities even though there is a deliberate effort at engaging these people through certain known organisations.
The seized psychotropic substances were handed over to the Commander of Narcotics at the Command’s NDLEA office, Mohammed Aminu Abubakar who also praised the efforts being jointly put together by the different security agencies in order to safeguard the security of Nigeria. The Commander detailed some of the local and international efforts that led to the seizure of these illegal substances and further asked for continuous cooperation in attempts at safeguarding public health as well as the security of the nation.
CAC Nnadi on his part praised the support of his principal, Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the officers and men under his Command, compliant stakeholders and the press for their job of informing abd educating the public about Customs activities.
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