Customs rakes in N935m, busts 10 suspected smugglers in Katsina in 2022

.Against N60.8m allocated revenue target

.Recorded 258 seizures

By Andy Asemota, Katsina

The operatives of Nigeria Customs Service, Katsina Area Command, have valued the revenue that accrued to the command at over N935m since the re – opening of Jibia Magama Land Border Station since April 2022 instead of the N60.8m allocated revenue target for the command last year.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Ahmed Dalha Chedi, who disclosed this on Wednesday during the thanksgiving and Send -off ceremony of the command in Katsina, noted that no fewer than 10 suspected smugglers were arrested while the command lost two officers within the period.

His words: “Moreover, in the command’s quest to facilitate export trade, the command recorded Free-On-Board (FOB) value of N4,426, 105,643.02 for non-oil commodities with 69,436.77MT exported through Jibia Magama Border Station.

“Also, the command’s efforts to suppress smuggling activities

was able to record 379 arrests. Out of the total number of 379 arrests, 258 were converted to seizures after thorough investigations with a Duty Paid Value N144,758,341.

“The items seized included food comprising foreign rice, foreign vegetable oil, foreign spaghetti, noodles and their various means of conveyance (cars, buses, trucks and motorcycles) and second hand clothing among others.

“Ten suspects were arrested by the command during the period under review. Some are presently being prosecuted at the Federal High Court while some were granted administrative bail.”

He disclosed that before the year under review, the command had sour relationships with the

border communities which greatly mitigated the command’s operations but the command’s sensitization efforts were able to restore peace, cooperation and mutual understanding between the command, its officers and men and the border communities through the established Customs Community Consultative Forum (CCCF) which has become an approved medium between the customs and the border communities in resolving issues that bothers on the visions of the customs service.

The Area Controller equally used the opportunity to appeal for sustainable cooperation and support from the general public to help in the security of the nation’s borders and facilitation of legitimate trans – border trade.

“The Command sincerely assure you all that your positive contributions to the successes and achievements the command recorded during the year under review is highly noticed and appreciated and that is why one or the activities also lined up today is the presentation of awards in recognition to some of our royal fathers, stakeholders that had immensely contributed to peace,

progress and successes of the Command,” Chedi explained.

Also presented with awards of

recognition were some Patrol Teams and Units of the Command that have distinguished  themselves.