Dangerous products : SON talks tough, destroys large quantities of substandard tyres, steel doors, spark plugs, items worth millions of Naira 
Comptroller Otunla Mounts The Leadership Saddle of Ogun I Customs Command 
NPA, PEBEC Move to Enhance Port Efficiency, Ease of Doing Business 
Renewed Hope : In Line with Oyetola’s Directive, NIMASA Pledges CVFF Disbursement by August 2025 
Significant milestone : Onne Multipurpose Terminal berths largest vessel in history, applauds NPA MD Dantsoho for improving port efficiency Anti-smuggling onslaught : Ogun Customs seizes 8 trailers of rice, 19 boat engines worth N100.1million
The CAC showing foreign rice concealed in car engine but uncovered through intelligence :
Anti-smuggling onslaught :
Ogun Customs seizes 8 trailers of rice, 19 boat engines worth N100.1million
* As Compt Makinde warns economic saboteurs against illicit trade at Idiroko border
The anti-smuggling onslaught unleashed by Ogun 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), against economic saboteurs at Idiroko border is causing gross financial losses for die-hard smugglers, who are not ready to embrace legitimate trade.
This is evident in the massive seizures of 4,603 bags of foreign rice (equivalent to 8 trailer loads), 19 boat engines, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol and other prohibited items seized by the Command in just few weeks.
Showcasing the seizures yesterday during press conference at Idiroko, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde disclosed that the boat engines estimated in monetary value of N17.322million were intercepted at the bush within the border area through credible intelligence.
He revealed that the speed boat engines, foreign rice and other items were seized during their anti – smuggling activities in the month of April, 2022. The items, he said worth over N100.1million in Duty Paid Value (DPV).
According to the CAC, during the period under review, the Command generated N6,048,500.00 from auction sales of petrol, seized at different locations within Idiroko community, the border between Nigeria and Republic of Benin.
Other items seized include 300 Cartons of Frozen Poultry Products; three Sacks of Cannabis Sativa; 900 Machetes, seven bales and seven Sacks of foreign used clothes; 2,195 pairs of used shoes; female hand-bags; 89 cartons of foreign wine and other items.
Others include eight Units of Vehicle used as means of conveyance; two units of Motorcycles used as means of conveyance; 35 Cartons and 12 packets of tomato paste, among others.
The CAC stated emphatically
that land border re-opening allows for only import and export of legitimate goods, even as he warned economic saboteurs against illicit trade in his area of responsibility.
Comptroller Makinde stressed that the seized rice would have had negative impact on the policy of Federal Government on agriculture, if they had entered into the local market unchecked.
He warned :
“The criminal elements in the State must know that whatever method they plan their nefarious activities, we shall definitely uncover everything, seize their wares and arrests them.
‘Our intelligence network is continuously strengthened for improved and efficient performance.
We deploy intelligence in virtually all our operations in the area and greater successes are being recorded on a daily basis.”
Observation : Our Correspondent observed that some smuggled items were concealed in car engines, while others were covered within the inner compartments of used vehicles; but Compt Makinde uncovered then with his eagle-eye.
