By Bimbo Ogunnaike
Despite border closure, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Niger/Kogi Command, has intercepted at least one thousand four hundred and eighty two bags of foreign rice illegally smuggled into the country.
Customs Area Comptroller in charge of Niger and Kogi states, Yusuf Abba-Kassim, who made this declaration while addressing journalists at a press briefing held in Minna, Niger State capital on Thursday, insisted that the seizures were made between first day of October and October 23rd this year.
It was gathered that the interception of these prohibited items is coming few days after the federal government of Nigeria announced the closure of all Nigerian borders.
Abba-Kassim, who also disclosed that the command also intercepted no fewer than eight cars allegedly smuggled into the country by suspected smugglers, added that in keeping to this promise the Command initiated new anti-smuggling strategies, which led to remarkable exploits evidenced in the seizures on display today which include;
“One DAF diesel tanker (six tyres) with registration number RBC-05 ZS suspected to be concealing imported foreign rice which is yet to be examined. One DAF truck (ten tyres) with registration number MNA 893 XV loaded with Nine hundred and Fifty (950) 50kg bags of imported rice,” he said.
“Nine bales of used clothing (Second hand). Four (4) Toyota Corolla conveying cumulatively a total of 135 50kg imported bags of rice.Three hundred and Ninety-Seven (397) 50kg imported bags of rice hidden within the forest by smugglers. Two Toyota Rav4. Four Toyota Corolla. One Peugeot 207. One Mazda Premacy,” Abba-Kassim added.
According to him, the seizures were made at different locations within the Command’s area of coverage all in the month of October 2019.
“It is worrisome to note that some Nigerians remain unrepentant even as they continue to lose. Not even the Federal Government’s visible efforts in transforming the agricultural sector, especially in the area of rice production as well as the increase prevalence of expired imported rice with its hazardous health implications have touched their conscience to avoid rice smuggling.
He explained that the service determination to deal with smugglers remains unshaken more so now that the present management has directed thorough investigation with the view to prosecuting all those that will be found connected to this illegal act and the on-going border drill operations.
“The arrest of a diesel tanker meant for convening diesel now used in concealing smuggled imported foreign rice should send a serious signal to these recalcitrant saboteurs of the Nigerian economy that there is no hiding place. We are determined to beat all their concealment patterns with our superior intelligence network.
“I want to use this opportunity to inform members of the public that the Kwara State axis of the Command has been given full autonomy since July 4th 2019 to be a Command separated from Niger/Kwara/Kogi and we will henceforth be called and addressed as Nigeria Customs Service Niger/Kogi Command.
“It is also worthy of note that the Command within the third quarter (July-September) of the year made a remarkable seizure of Three thousand, Five hundred and Twenty-Nine (3529) 50kg imported bags of rice with duty paid value of N62,159,700, Twenty-Nine (29) used vehicles with duty paid value of N32,333,500 and One thousand, Eighteen (1018) bales of Second-hand clothing with duty paid value of N48,912,000,”Customs Area Comptroller said.
