Kebbi Customs Roll-Out Success Made In Q3 of 2024, Generate N36.2M As Revenue
... Records low volume of import
By: Bisi Akingbade
The Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Area Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has announced the activities of the third quarter of 2024 leading to numerous successes of core mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation and suppression of smuggling, and handover
clothings, 16,300 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 74 cartons of different medicaments, 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50Kg each,
180 pieces of donkey skin bundled in nine (9) sacks, 2 litres of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each and 1 unit of DAF truck and Toyota Corolla as means of conveyance, among others.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Iheanaco Ernest Ojike made this disclosure at the Command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Comptroller Ojike highlighted efforts made in the area of revenue generation in order to meet up target
His words: " In the area of revenue generation, the Command has been on the frontline, working assiduously to improve the revenue generated yearly by the Command to meet up the set target.
"The Command has been holding series of meetings and educating our stakeholders on the basic customs procedures of importation/exportation which is aimed at stemming the tide of smuggling and increasing revenue generation.
"In particular, we assemble all our trading communities on board in a deliberate and conscious effort to forge a common ground. In all the meetings we held, we stressed the need for compliance and avoidance of importing goods that would be injurious to the health of Nigerians and destroy the economy.
"In a quest to further improve the revenue drive, the Command under the able leadership of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has been actively involved in the process of reopening of Tsamiya-Sebgana border, which proposed a one-stop border post. A one-stop border cuts off all irrelevancies in documentations and non-tariff procedures preceding trade facilitation.
He stated further that a lot of challenges like low volume of import through official kamba border has affected the Command’s effort at revenue generation for the federal Government;, but the Command was still able to generate the sum of Thirty six million, two hundred and twenty three thousand, five hundred and fifty four naira fifty kobo (₦36, 223, 554.50K) within the period under review.
"As the efforts we put in place continue to translate to positive outcome, we hope to record steady rise in the Command’s revenue in the coming months.
On operations ' whirlwind team , Comptroller Ojike said that the stay of this team has reduced the menace of petroleum products in the state. "At this point, I will want to talk about ‘whirlwind Team’, which is a special team created by the CGC and tasked with the sole responsibility of curbing the menace of petroleum products smuggling.
"Of course, we all know the implications of smuggling our petroleum products outside the shores of the country. Scarcity of these product is created here when these miscreant have their way.
"But this special team, whirlwind, has since swung into action and has successfully within the short period of their stay here reduced the menace of petroleum product smuggling in the state. They are a team that thrive on intelligence, and the results of their efforts speak for them.
The CAC said in the area of anti-smuggling, the Command recorded series of successes as the officers and men continue to strive hard to get rid of smuggling activities within Kebbi. The seizures made during the period under review are as follows:-
Items seized includes: 367 of bales of secondhand clothings, 16,300 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 74 cartons of different medicaments, 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50Kg each,
180 pieces of donkey skin bundled in nine (9) sacks, 2 litres of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each and 1 unit of DAF truck and Toyota Corolla as means of conveyance, among others.
Comptroller Ojike affirmed that 5 Suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures above and they have been granted administrative bail in compliance with the provision of the constitution pending further investigation and proper trial of their case. And also, the Duty Paid Value, DPV, of the seized items is three hundred and twenty three million, sixty five thousand five and sixty seven naira (₦323, 065, 567).
He added that some prohibited items seized were handover to the sister agencies responsible for such items as directed by our Headquarters and in spirit of interagency collaboration.