By Adeniyi Adedeji, Ilorin
The Nigerian Customs Joint Border Drill Operations in the North Central Zone stationed in Ilorin has made seizure of banned items with duty paid values of N568, 763,380 within five months.
Briefing newsmen in Ilorin yesterday, the Custom Zonal Coordinator, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba said the Custom’s Drill Operations was established on August 20, 2019 as aftermath of partial border closure by the Federal Government.
He disclosed that since the border closure and the coming on board of the drill operations, Nigeria Customs has been generating between N5billion and N7billion daily.
He blamed the low revenue generation by the Customs Service and high criminal activities on the Nigerian borders on the breach of trade agreements between Nigeria and 14 other West African Countries in the name of ECOWAS.
According to him, 15 ECOWAS Heads of Governments once signed an ECOWAS Commission Trade Policy which for years had been grossly violated by the West African countries, a development that of late forced Nigeria to partially close its borders.
Comptroller Garba specifically said Benin Republic which is the closest to Nigeria and the entry route by other West African Nations was largely guilty of this.
The seized items included 1,001 bags of rice with duty value of N173,417,000; 52 different types of used vehicles at duty value of N88.9 million; 1,524 jerry cans of petrol at N12,633,250; 561 drums of petrol at N9,048,000 and 1,670 tablets of Tramadol valed at N165million.
Others were seized motorcycles, poisonous toothpaste, condensed, milk, washing soap, poisonous insecticides, vegetable oil, second hand clothes and sacks of female second hand bags all valued at N5,070,600.
Meanwhile, 204 persons were repatriated, made up 99 Nigeriens, 100 Beninoise, three Malians and two Chinese. Eleven suspects were arrested and released on administrative bails in the drill operations, according to the Zonal Coordinator.