By Ajibola Adedoye
From the 10th September 2010 to April 19, 2024, a total of 3,189 seizures were recorded with a duty paid value of Thirty-five Billion, Nine Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Four Hundred and Twelve Naira Only (₦35,908,331,412.00) and a sum of three hundred and eighty-six (386) suspects arrested in connection with some of the seizures. While twenty-two (22) people were convicted for committing different Customs offences.
Comptroller HK Ejibunu, Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone A, made this submission during a media briefing being his last in the Federal Operations Unit Zone A.
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Comptr. Ejibunu disclosed that “Prominent among the seizures but not limited to the following are: 222,285 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (370 Trailer loads) 1,140,864 Litres of premium motor spirit (33 Tankers)16,432.30kg of Indian Hemp26,303 pieces of used pneumatic Tyres 11,175 Bales of used clothes 751x 70mm of live cartridges12,912 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products 5,033 pieces of donkey skin 450 x 106kg drums of carbide 233 cartons x 225mg of Tramadol 7,640 cartons of expired and unapproved drugs 303 Units of foreign used vehicles 104 Haojue motorcycles.
“The Unit recovered the sum of Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Fourty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Fourty-Eight Kobo N2,256,549,232.48 through the issuance of demand notices (D/N) due to transfer of value and wrong classification” he stated.
“Other successes recorded by the Unit under my watch include; improved suppression of smuggling by making more seizures and the arrest of suspects served as a deterrent to intending smugglers. Increased revenue recovery through meticulous documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on goods found to have underpaid. Enhanced trade facilitation by providing escorts for goods on fast track for compliant traders.
While expressing his profound gratitude to God and the management of the Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptr. Ejibunu who has been transferred to the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, Abuja noted that his stewardship in FOU Zone A enjoyed the morale and logistics support that was needed for him to succeed in office.
“My appreciation also goes to the management, officers and men of this Unit for their untiring support, dedication, gallantry and uncompromising posture in the fight against smuggling and revenue recovery. You worked both day and night to ensure that the successes we recorded were achieved.
“Unfortunately, while on legitimate duties within Zone’s area of operations, eight (8) officers sustained different degrees of injuries while five (5) lost their lives in the line of duty; may their souls rest in peace through the mercy of God (amen).
“I cannot hurriedly forget the cooperation of most of the traditional rulers such as the Onipokia of Ipokia Kindom, Ogun State; Oba Yisa Sola Adeniyi Adelakun Olaniyan (JP), the Alake of Egba Land, Ogun State; Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, and the Olu of Ilaro/Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Ogun State; His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, who visited the Unit twice to commiserate with the officers and men over the loss of some gallant men on duty.
“Let me use this medium to express my profound gratitude to compliant traders, importers and agents for being patriotic and sincere in their declarations, and for being compliant with the extant Customs procedures” he concluded.
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