Customs in Oyo State rakes in N9.4bn revenue

Customs in Oyo State rakes in N9.4bn revenue

.Records N50million seizures, arrests 8 suspects

.Lauds FOU zone ‘A’ for effective synergy

By Udeme Clement & Tayo Daniels

The Oyo/Osun Command of Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has generated N9.4billion for the Federal Government mainly from excise factories operating in its area of coverage.

This huge amount represents 38percent of the revenue target given to the Command.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, of Oyo/Osun, Comptroller Christopher Odibu, disclosed this at a press conference in Ibadan, said that the amount was generated from January to May 2018.

He further revealed that the revenue realised by Oyo/Osun Command in the same period last year was N7.2billion, thereby showing an increase of over N2.2billion when compared to what has been generated in 2018.

In the same vein, the Command within a short period recorded over N50million seizures. The items intercepted include 13 tokunbo cars with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N21.1million;  1,669 bags of foreign rice with DPV of  N14.7million;  44 gallons of vegetable oil (25litres each) with DPV of N754,469; 38 bales of secondhand clothes with DPV of N5.8million; 15 bags of sugar (50kg each) with DPV of N490,000 and 13 vehicles used for conveyance with DPV of N7.6million.

The Command swiftly arrested eight suspects in connection with the seized items, even as some cases are already in court for further prosecution.

The CAC enthused, “All these achievements would not have been actualised without the gallant efforts of our officers and men of the Command, working in synergy with other departments like the Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, Federal Operations Units, FOU Zone ‘A’ and the CGC’s strike force. We are working tirelessly to ensure that our territories are well secured to the best of our ability”.