CAC Yusuf showing the seized items to the press men
Story by Dili Utomi.
The global economic challenges being experienced and their attendant effects on many entities in the year 2024 have created difficulties and Nigeria is not exempted. Important sectors of the economy are adversely affected due to the unstable exchange rate.
In spite of these, the Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command has seemingly remained resolute at ensuring that the much needed revenue for the Federal Government is collected and also ensuring that the other mandates of the safety and well-being of the citizenry through curbing of smuggling to its barest minimum and the facilitation of legitimate import and export trades are performed.
The tenacious Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Mohamed Sani Yusuf at a press briefing this morning said that “the Command surpassed its records for the first quarter of 2024 compared to what was collected the previous year. In the first quarter of 2023 the Command collected Twenty-One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira, Forty-Four Kobo (₦21,362,752,676.44K) while in the corresponding period of 2024, the Command recorded Forty-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira (₦45,232,483,528) only. This represents an appreciable increase of Twenty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Naira and Fifty-Six Kobo (₦23,869, 730,851.56) only indicating 111.7% increase”.
CAC Yusuf addressing journalists today.
In the anti-Smuggling area, the Command has recorded an appreciable increase in its anti-smuggling drive which led to the joint interception of fifty (50) pieces of 9mm live ammunition which was discovered in a joint examination conducted by the Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The number of first quarter seizures in the command includes One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Four (1,164kg) sea cucumbers, Fifty Eight Kilograms (58kg) of donkey genitals and seventeen packages (17) of Tramadol with 2 suspects arrested in connection with the seized ammunition and 1 smuggler arrested in connection with the seizure of the sea cucumber.
“The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at Five Billion, seven hundred and ninety four million, ninety nine thousand, three hundred and seventy one naira and one hundred and Nineteen kobo only (₦15,794,099,371.19k). All the seized items contravene some of the provisions of extant laws as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023”.
CAC Yusuf added that “In the area of stakeholder’s engagement, the Command has maintained its open-door policy and resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders. Let me alsoat this juncture thank our critical Stakeholders, Sister Agencies and the Media for their collaborative efforts and synergy while carrying out our statutory mandate in the state”.
During the questions and answers session, the CAC said that the 2 suspects who were arrested in connection with the seized ammunition are helping with needed information as he added that the major source of the generated revenue is from the multi-national companies who bring in their equipment into the country. CAC Yusuf also said that all the strategies that the Command has devised have worked to engender the level of successes that they have experienced. At the end of the briefing CAC Yusuf took journalists to the warehouse to show them the sized items.
More picture.
Comptroller Yusuf thanks the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashiru Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his Management team for their continued support, he also commended the Officers and Men of the Command and urged them to continue with the level of dedication and hard work that they put in to achieve success.
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