The Seme Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service has has recorded a revenue collection totalling N1.904 billion as at the close of business on 8th September, 2023. However, a revenue target of N9.6 billion was given to the command for the 2023 fiscal year.
This amount collected so far represents 97.2bper cent of the total revenue target.
This also shows that the generated revenue is more than double of last year’s collection of N885.5 million.
Briefing the press last Friday, the Area Controller, Compt. Dera Nnadi, mni, attributed this exponential growth in revenue to the painstaking efforts made by the leadership of the command in synergy with the officers and men as well as those of the stakeholders in ensuring compliance with the command’s revenue generation agenda.
On anti-smuggling operation, the controller, recalled that the command had in February intercepted fake $6million (N2.7billion), which is in addition to other notable seizures recorded between January and August 2023.
Compt. Nnadi listed other seizures to include 6, 560 50kg bags of rice equivalent to 16 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice with Duty Paid Value of N312.2million, 13, 835 units of 30 litre- Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit PMS, also called petrol, which equivalent to 415, 050 liters or 13 petroleum tankers with Duty Paid Value of N738.3million, 15,389 pieces of general merchandise goods.
Others are hard drugs and narcotics comprising 41 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, also called Indian Hemp, 4,900 tablets 225mg of Tramadol Tamol-X, 3,600 tablets of 225mg Tramadol Royal, 225, 157 tablets of Heineken Ecstacy and 864 packs of cigarette, among others.
It was also revealed that in the early hours of Friday September 8, 2023, officers and men of the command along the Badagry Coast acting on credible intelligence intercepted 1,364 units of 30 liter- jerry cans of PMS, which is equivalent to 40,800 litres of more than one tanker load of the product with a Duty Paid Value DPV of N24.7million. It was further gathered that the total DPV for all the items seized for the period January- September 8, 2023 is N1. 8billion. The command had also seized 95 packages of donkey skins.
Compt. Nnadi has this to say: “Upon my assumption of duty on the 23 of January, 2023, I pledged to adopt new strategies to boost trade while enforcing the nation’s anti-smuggling laws along the Abidjan Lagos Corridor ALCO in line with the ECOWAS protocols on free movement of goods and persons.
“I also promised along with officers and men to encourage compliant traders along the corridor bearing in mind the challenges of the JBP as one that is still recovering from the effects of the border closure. We have kept faith with that as will be explained in due course.
“Let me appreciate the Comptroller General of Customs for his support to the command, without which these could not have been possible and also appreciate the Seme- Badagry community for their cooperation and to officers and men of the command for their gallantry and patriotism. Our greatest appreciation goes to the media for highlighting our modest efforts in Seme Area Command.
“It is gratifying to note that the CGC and the government of both countries and the stakeholders are all on the same page regarding the need to improve our relationship with a view to maximise the opportunities offered by the proximity of our two countries to the border and develop trade along the corridor.”
18 officers and men of the command were rewarded for their uncompromising attitudes.
involved in the seizures They were officers and men involved in the seizures of fake $6million, 15 fake International Passports and 10 Driver’s licenses as well as those of the Donkey skins in January, which is in line with the service’s culture of encouraging its personnel.