In Ogun State, the Nigeria Customs Service is encouraging youths from border communities and other parts of the state to engage in sports as part of efforts to prevent their involvement in criminal activities. 

The Customs Area Controller, Ogun Area One, Mr Bamidele Makinde, who disclosed this to newsmen at Idi Iroko, said the promotion of non-kinetic activities was also aimed at making the borders area conducive for economic activities to thrive.  

Mr Bamidele said the Command’s Football team, Customs FC, was last month promoted from the Nigeria Nationwide League, NNL, Division Three To Division Two with 18 youths drawn from the various border communities across the state constituting the majority of players. 

The Customs Area Controller explained that only eight of the players were officers of the Nigeria Customs Service while six others were drawn from different states of the Federation and the Republic of Benin with one of their handlers, Mr Fatai Biliyu currently undergoing advance coaching training at the National Institute for Sports in Lagos State. 

Highlighting the proactive operations to check illicit trade across the borders, Mr Bamidele announced that the Command generated more than thirteen million naira from import duty and auction sales of petroleum products intercepted during anti-smuggling operations during the month of July 2022. 

He said the Duty Paid Value, DPV of seizures made by the Command during the period also amounted to about three hundred and eleven million naira, including about five trailer loads of polished rice intercepted from being smuggled into the Nigerian market. 

Mr Bamidele gave the assurance that the Command would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to suppress smuggling and other illicit activities by foiling the attempts, making arrests and prosecuting anyone caught in the acts in line with the directives of the Controller General of Customs, Retired Colonel Hamid Ali.

Olusegun Folarin