Nigeria Customs Service, Adamawa/Taraba Area Command has impounded petroleum products worth about N33.99m within its area in just three weeks.

Briefing Journalists at the command’s Headquarters in Yola, the Comptroller, Garba Bashir said the successes recorded by the operatives of the command was as a result of encouragement and support from the CGC.

He said, “I am here to give you a further rundown of the accomplishments of Command in the area of anti-smuggling in an effort to implement government fiscal policies as one of the primary duties of Nigeria Customs service as enshrined in section 4 of NCS Act, 2023”.

Bashir noted that the command had made a considerable achievement through unwavering, uncompromising and collaborative efforts of the Operatives which are translated to several numbers of seizures recorded hitherto. 

He stated, “The Operatives of this Command had recorded twenty-eight (28) instances of seizures within the period of three weeks with aggregate Duty Paid Value (DPV) of thirty-three million, nine hundred and ninety-four thousand, nine-hundred-naira, zero kobo only (N33,994,900)”.

He stressed that the Command is fully committed to building on this success through coordinated border management and leveraging technology.

Bashir said, ” The seized items comprise the following: 36,435 Litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and AGO packed in 1,194 Jerry Cans plus 2 drums of PMS, and 115 Jerry Cans of AGO with capacity of 25L, 30L and 220L each intended to be smuggled out of the country.

“These seizures were made in various smuggling flashpoints on different dates and time the locations are Likitatba-Gembu axis, Mubi-Sahuda axis, Malabu-Belel axis, Girei-Wuro Bokki axis, Ganye-Toungo axis and Damare/Gurin-Fufore axis, all at the frontiers of Adamawa and Taraba states”.

“Our primary driver of our anti-smuggling campaign is to reinforce national security at our borders and safeguard domestic industries and to prevent the influx of goods harmful to our health, the economy and border security”

Comptroller Bashir added that the aim could be achieved by disallowing the smugglers from having fresh air and truncating their supply chains within the confines of the law.  

“These seized Petroleum Products will be auctioned to the general public immediately after this briefing in accordance with the standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the NCS Act 2023. The proceed will be remitted to the Federation account accordingly”.

The Comptroller also added that the command impounded 8x200L drums and 35x25L Jerry Cans of industrial chemical (Dichloromethane popularly called suck and die).

The seized Dichloromethane (Suck and die) were handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for onward distrstruction.

While condemning the recent mob attack on Customs Operatives in Adamawa State in particular is alarming, the Comptroller said the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has read the riot acts to the general public that the wanton attack and assault on Customs personnel by the smugglers and economic saboteurs will not be left fallow. 

He said, “Let me inform you that the attack will not deter us from discharging our statutory duties”.