Nigeria Customs Service Accumulates N1.4 billion at Seme border

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command, disclosed it made about N1.4 billion from trade across the border in the last two months.

The Controller at Seme Command, Mohammed Uba, revealed this during the parade of some seized items in Seme, noting that the Command has intensified operations of the enforcement unit, and has noticeably reduced smuggling activities to the barest minimum.

He highlighted some of the confiscated items to include: 23 vehicles, 4,745 bags 50kg foreign rice, 27 jerry cans (25 litres) of vegetable oil, 34 bags of sugar, 261 jerry can (25 litres) of petrol, 80 cartons of poultry products, and 95 new textile materials.

Read also: Again, Customs Intercept 13 Containers of Tramadol Valued at N3.14bn

Others are: 24 cartons of Maggi, 20 pieces of household effects, 19 boxes of frozen seafood, 68 parcels of Tramadol, 220×6 yards of Ankara textiles, 180 sacks of scrap metals, a Scania 280 truck carrying two Polaris terrain trucks, and others household items.

Uba affirmed five suspects were arrested in connection with the seized items, while four robbery suspects named: Ibrahim Fasasi, Alex Bright, Godwin Sunday, and Abiodun Sodiq, were arrested at the Gbaji axis with ammunition and charm, and have been handed over to the Federal State Anti Robert Squad.

He said the Command is insistent on strengthening its anti-smuggling operations against trans-border crimes, and equally improving revenue, which would  lead to the blockage of illegal routes leading to the Atlas Park (across the border), adding that the standardisation of transit protocol in line with the international best practice has boosted freight forwarding activities.

He assured that the Command is working tirelessly to guarantee a smoother experience by clearing the congestion within the shortest possible time. Uba appreciated the European Union/ Economic Community of West African States (EU/ECOWAS Commission) for the continued support in management of the joint border post.