Customs Seize Goods with Payable Duty of N454m

By Abisola Oluremi

Tougher time await smugglers
in Oyo and Osun States as the State Command of Nigeria Customs Service, has strategized ways to suppress their illegal activities.

The Area Controller of the command, Dr Ben Oramalugo said this at a media briefing held at the headquarters of the NSC in ibadan .

He lamented that despite series of seizures and arrests, smuggling activities were still on the increase.

Dr Oramalugo identified collaboration with individuals, governments, traditional leaders and other security agencies as parts of measures that would be used to bring culprits to book.

He also said capacity building, technology integration and more sensitization on dangers inherent in smuggling as some of the tactics the command were deploying to curb illegal activities.

Dr Oramalugo explained that over four hundred and fifty four million naira duty paid value of goods including foreign parboiled rice, premium motor spirit, timbers, vehicles , belts and used clothes were intercepted in 2023, while over thirty million naira worth of contraband goods have been seized so far in 2024 by the command.

While appreciating the support of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, Dr Oramalugo reiterated the readiness of the command to generate more revenue into the Federal government coffers.

While appreciating the donation of a car to the command by the Oyo State government, the Area Controller, also sympathised with the State government and families that lost their loved ones in the recent Ibadan explosion.