FOU Zone A Customs Seizes N12bn Goods in 10 Months
EJIBUNU
• Controller laments lack of spaces for increasing seizures
• As Customs CG/ Controllers, NIMASA DG, Shittu, others receive awards
By Francis Ugwoke
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has said that the Unit has seized goods which Duty Paid Value (DPV) is N12.08bn in 10 months.
The goods were seized between January and October 2022, according to the Acting Controller, Deputy Comptroller Keyinde Ejibunu, while delivering a paper titled “Factors Militating Against Revenue Collection and Anti-smuggling Operations on the occasion of the retreat organized by by the League of Maritime Editors in Lagos.
A breakdown of the 1,268 seizures include 83,414 bags of foreign rice, which is equivalent to 124 truckloads, 233 cartons and 82 packs of tramadol at 225 mg which DPV was N3.7bn.
Others items seized include cannabis, second-hand clothes, Premium Motor Spirit, 104 uits of vehicles with DPV of N718.6m, 187 used motorcycles, 1 unit of pump-action rifle, 2 units of dane guns and 35 live cartridges.
On the seizure of some of the items, including 233 cartons and 82 packs of tramadol, he wondered what would have been negative impact if the items had entered the Nigerian market.
According to him, this would have increased crime rate, adding that 135 suspects were arrested by the Unit, out of which 15 were charged to court and 117 released on administrative bail.
He added that three suspects were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while 10 suspects were still in custody.
Ejibunu who noted that the Unit is not meant for revenue generation, however disclosed that based on various degrees of infractions arising from transfer of value, low value , wrong classification and concealment for containers and vehicles released from seaports, it generated N808.4m in 10 months.
He said, “Once there is an intelligence on any job released from the ports that runs foul of import clearance procedure, the intervention role of the Unit triggers off. When such a job is intercepted, re-examination and assessment given for the shortfall, the agent or his importer pays through the bank into the federal government coffers/”.
Advising importers to be compliant with import regulations, he said, “without mincing words, the fear of FOU is certainly the beginning of wisdom for economic saboteurs both at the seaports and land borders”.
On the factors militating against revenue collection to the unit, he identified granting of waivers to organizations with capacities to pay reasonable duties, smuggling, lack of scanning machines at designated entry points, corruption in the system by unscrupulous importers, agents, terminal operators, shipping companies and customs officers, documentations problems, lack of willingness by many Nigerians to pay taxes or duties and delays in making duty payments at designated commercial banks.
On anti-smuggling operations, he said there were equally several factors that act as impediments to achieving the much desired goals.
He identified them as lack of enough manpower to match the long stretch of the porous borders, incessant attacks on patrol teams by dare devil smugglers, untamed hostile border communities who take up smuggling as a legitimate business, ignorance on the part of the trading public with regards to government fiscal policies.
He identified others as difficult and unfriendly terrains for free patrols in the bush, limited number of function vehicles to cover all the vast areas within the South West zone alone, congestion of the government warehouses, Ikeja and delays in the determination of cases involving smugglers.
However, he said that in spite all the challenges, the Unit was ready to deliver on its core mandates, considering the support from the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) and the management team of Customs in terms of welfare, equipment and operational vehicles.
He also called for the support of the general public adding that combating smuggling was everybody’s business for the society to be better.
Ejibunu was among the Controllers and other industry stakeholders who were honoured by the League for distinguishing themselves in their professional field of calling.
Among the controllers were Compt Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf – Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area 1 Command, Compt Albashir Hamisu Psc (+) -Controller, Federal Operations Unit, zone B Kaduna, Deputy Compt MS Yusuf -Co-ordinator, Comptroller General of customs Strike Force, Lagos and Deputy Compt Timi Bomodi – National Public Relations Officer.
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hammed Ali (retd), Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Mohammed Bello Koko. Chairman, Skellas Group, Prince Olayiwola Shittu and Chairman, Sifax Group, Chief Dr. Taiwo Afolabi were also honouored.
The Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Honourable Emmanuel Jime, had also been penciled down for different awards but could not attend the programme.
• As Customs CG/ Controllers, NIMASA DG, Shittu, others receive awards
By Francis Ugwoke
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has said that the Unit has seized goods which Duty Paid Value (DPV) is N12.08bn in 10 months.
The goods were seized between January and October 2022, according to the Acting Controller, Deputy Comptroller Keyinde Ejibunu, while delivering a paper titled “Factors Militating Against Revenue Collection and Anti-smuggling Operations on the occasion of the retreat organized by by the League of Maritime Editors in Lagos.
A breakdown of the 1,268 seizures include 83,414 bags of foreign rice, which is equivalent to 124 truckloads, 233 cartons and 82 packs of tramadol at 225 mg which DPV was N3.7bn.
Others items seized include cannabis, second-hand clothes, Premium Motor Spirit, 104 uits of vehicles with DPV of N718.6m, 187 used motorcycles, 1 unit of pump-action rifle, 2 units of dane guns and 35 live cartridges.
On the seizure of some of the items, including 233 cartons and 82 packs of tramadol, he wondered what would have been negative impact if the items had entered the Nigerian market.
According to him, this would have increased crime rate, adding that 135 suspects were arrested by the Unit, out of which 15 were charged to court and 117 released on administrative bail.
He added that three suspects were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while 10 suspects were still in custody.
Ejibunu who noted that the Unit is not meant for revenue generation, however disclosed that based on various degrees of infractions arising from transfer of value, low value , wrong classification and concealment for containers and vehicles released from seaports, it generated N808.4m in 10 months.
He said, “Once there is an intelligence on any job released from the ports that runs foul of import clearance procedure, the intervention role of the Unit triggers off. When such a job is intercepted, re-examination and assessment given for the shortfall, the agent or his importer pays through the bank into the federal government coffers/”.
Advising importers to be compliant with import regulations, he said, “without mincing words, the fear of FOU is certainly the beginning of wisdom for economic saboteurs both at the seaports and land borders”.
On the factors militating against revenue collection to the unit, he identified granting of waivers to organizations with capacities to pay reasonable duties, smuggling, lack of scanning machines at designated entry points, corruption in the system by unscrupulous importers, agents, terminal operators, shipping companies and customs officers, documentations problems, lack of willingness by many Nigerians to pay taxes or duties and delays in making duty payments at designated commercial banks.
On anti-smuggling operations, he said there were equally several factors that act as impediments to achieving the much desired goals.
He identified them as lack of enough manpower to match the long stretch of the porous borders, incessant attacks on patrol teams by dare devil smugglers, untamed hostile border communities who take up smuggling as a legitimate business, ignorance on the part of the trading public with regards to government fiscal policies.
He identified others as difficult and unfriendly terrains for free patrols in the bush, limited number of function vehicles to cover all the vast areas within the South West zone alone, congestion of the government warehouses, Ikeja and delays in the determination of cases involving smugglers.
However, he said that in spite all the challenges, the Unit was ready to deliver on its core mandates, considering the support from the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (rtd) and the management team of Customs in terms of welfare, equipment and operational vehicles.
He also called for the support of the general public adding that combating smuggling was everybody’s business for the society to be better.
Ejibunu was among the Controllers and other industry stakeholders who were honoured by the League for distinguishing themselves in their professional field of calling.
Among the controllers were Compt Malanta Ibrahim Yusuf – Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area 1 Command, Compt Albashir Hamisu Psc (+) -Controller, Federal Operations Unit, zone B Kaduna, Deputy Compt MS Yusuf -Co-ordinator, Comptroller General of customs Strike Force, Lagos and Deputy Compt Timi Bomodi – National Public Relations Officer.
The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hammed Ali (retd), Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Mohammed Bello Koko. Chairman, Skellas Group, Prince Olayiwola Shittu and Chairman, Sifax Group, Chief Dr. Taiwo Afolabi were also honouored.
The Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Honourable Emmanuel Jime, had also been penciled down for different awards but could not attend the programme.