Few days to the conduct of the 2023 general elections, the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 2,135 parcels of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1,163kg.
The illicit drug was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) representative at the Customs warehouse, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday.
The Acting Controller of the unit, DC HK Ejibunu who handed over the offending items on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), to an NDLEA representative, said that the illicit items were intercepted at different points in the zone.
Aside this, the unit intercepted 450 drums of carbide, each with 106kg, a product used in making bombs at Ijebu Ode on its way to Aba in Abia State.
The duty paid value of the carbide is N24, 577,340.
According to the Acting Controller, the owner claimed to have legal documents backing it up and that Customs is waiting to see the documents for authenticity.
Ejibunu also disclosed that 68 pieces of Army camouflage were intercepted by the unit at Ijebu Ode.
He stated that the person travelling with the item claimed that he was given the contract to deliver the goods.
The item with duty paid value of N816,000 will remain seized until the contractor tenders documents that will authenticate his claims.
The unit also seized 47,750 litres of premium motor spirit popularly called petrol in January.
Ejibunu also revealed that the unit intercepted 5,481 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice.
The seizure which is equivalent of over nine trailer loads has a duty paid value of N429,162,300.
The Acting controller further said that the unit intercepted 13 units of used vehicles, 11 units of used motorcycles as well as 314 pieces of used tyres.
He remarked that all the goods were intercepted along the border corridors of the South-West for contravening different Customs laws.
Ejibunu hinted that 11 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the wares while three had been convicted.
He gave the total duty paid value of the seized goods to be N517,918,790.
The Acting Controller explained that N86, 117,398.50 was recovered as revenue into the federation account through the issuance of demand notices on Customs duties that were discovered to be underpaid.
He noted that considering the spate of insecurity across the country and the coming elections , it can be postulated that the importation of Cannabis Sativa and military camouflage could be used to fuel crimes and electoral violence by unpatriotic elements.
Ejibunu enjoined members of the public to show concern to the prevailing security situation by providing useful information that could expose and lead to the arrest of the enemies of the state
