All eyes on premier port, as Compt Jaiyeoba takes over Apapa Command with N676bn revenue

All eyes on premier port, as Compt Jaiyeoba takes over Apapa Command with N676bn revenue

Yesterday, Tuesday, September 12, 2023, marked the beginning of yet another new leadership at Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs Service, as Compt Babajide Jaiyeoba, the new Area Controller formally took over the mantle of leadership from his predecessor, ACG Auwal Baba Mohammed, currently in charge of Technical Services at Customs headquarters in Abuja.

ACG Auwal Mohammed, who had performed creditably handed over
Apapa Customs with a huge revenue collection of over N676billion realised from January to August, 2023, through hard work and resilience.

With this impressive revenue profile, expectations are high and all eyes are on Compt Jaiyeoba, who took over the premier port in a brief but colourful ceremony done in the presence of senior officers, critical stakeholders, importers and the media.

Speaking during the occasion, ACG Mohammed revealed that Apapa Command generated a whopping sum of N136billion in the month of August 2023, also a daily collection of N10billion was realised in August 3, 2023. These, he said were recorded as the highest monthly and daily collections in the history of Nigeria Customs Service.

Giving more details on anti-smuggling activities of the Command, the out-going Area Controller informed :
“From January to August 2023, seizures made included N21.6billion worth of Tramadol tablets in 720 cartons, containing 143.8million units of 225 milligram tablets, weighing 10.3 tons. Also, another 20 cartons of illicit drugs worth over N1.4billion in monetary value, which were handed over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for further investigation”.

He also mentioned that among the seizures made were two pistols concealed in a groupage container, which his enforcement officers uncovered through intelligence.

ACG Mohammed urged maritime traders, importers, freight agents and all stakeholders to give the new Area Controller maximum support, in order to build on the feats recorded by the Command.

He emphasised the need to always follow the right procedures and maintain the rules of engagement in importation as stated by the federal government, stressing that importation of specific items
requires End-User Certificate (EUC) from the office of National Security Adviser.

He advised importers and their agents to ensure honest declarations at all times, in order to fast track cargo clearance from the port, saying that the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS ll) platform requires accurate documentation and correct declaration to function optimally.

In the same vein, he said that deployment of scanner in the premier port has increased the number of containers being scanned daily to about 120, instead of 50 containers that were scanned previously at the beginning of the exercise.

The ACG in his concluding speech called on men and officers of the Command to work as a team for greater efficiency.