The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “C’ Owerri, Imo State, under the control of Comptroller Bishir Abdullahi Balogun, has intercepted contraband goods and other items with over Five hundred and five million naira.
Addressing media me in Benin, Edo State capital on the 21st of August, 2015, Comptroller Balogun said: “I am pleased to welcome everyone to the Nigeria Customs Service Government Warehouse, Aduwawa, Benin, Edo State. This media briefing is an innovative tradition of the unit, which provides an open platform to share our performance scorecard directly with the most respected Nigerian populace, whom we serve as we carry out our duties.
“This press conference is aimed at informing you about the recent milestone successes we have achieved as a unit, team, and family, particularly in the areas of legitimate trade facilitation, increasing revenue collections, collaborating with relevant security agencies and critical stakeholders, enforcing government fiscal policy, and suppressing anti-smuggling activities.
“In our effort to inform the general public on the productive activities of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Federal Operations Units (FOU) Zone C, Owerri has continued to work strategically as a team and goal-oriented unit in carrying out its constitutional mandate.“The unit under my watch and the able leadership of the Comptroller General ofCustoms, CGC BA Adeniyi MFR, shall continue to deploy an intelligence-led strategy in our day-to-day operations, which has yielded tremendous successes in our interventions and anti smuggling drive.
“During the period under review, our officers and men exhibited the highest level of professionalism and relentless efforts in the implementation of government fiscal policy by enforcing the provisions of the NCS Act 2023 as it relates to Import, Export, Revenue Generation, Security of lives and properties, the nation’s borders of the South-South and South-Eastern States. The items arrested for investigation within our area of operations are as follows:
“Dry salted Donkey skin 3022 pieces packed in sacks, used tyres, used clothing in bales and bags, bags of foreign parboiled rice in 50kg and 25kg, foreign wine in cartons without NAFDAC number, foreign cosmetics, 58 cartons without NAFDAC number, foreign Geisha in cartons,
bags of woven empty 50kg sacks loaded, two used trucks, Mercedes trucks, a Scania truck, one used Toyota Tundra SUV, one used J5 Bus and others.
“The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N505,520,886.00 (Five hundred and five million, five hundred and twenty thousand, eight hundred and eighty-six naira only).
“The unit remains committed to the policy thrust of the CGC BA Adeniyi (MFR) that emphasizes on the cardinal principles of: consolidation on successes achieved, collaborative engagement with all relevant security agencies and critical care stakeholders, and innovative ideas in its dealings to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in customs operations. In our inter-agency collaboration, the seized Cannabis Sativa shall be handed over to NDLEA, whereas the medicament is to be handed over to NAFDAC, and the seized Dry Salted Donkey Skin will be handed over to NESREA, etc.
“These timely successes and achievements are a result of the purposeful leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, a high level of professionalism, commitment, and teamwork. We remain committed to sanitizing the zone of any form of illicit trade activities and facilitating legitimate trade. Let me use this medium to thank the amiable CGC and his entire management team for the dynamic leadership styles and qualities.
“We call on our traders and stakeholders to be compliant, as our officers are professionally trained to checkmate the activities of non-compliant traders and block likely areas of revenue leakages.
“Finally, I commend the media for their relentless efforts in making sure the Anti-smuggling activities, innovations and the giant strides of the unit and the service in general spreads across nation at large. We urge all well-meaning Nigerians to support the service with necessary information and intelligence that could assist the service in curbing the smuggling of illicit goods and substance into the nation, Comptr. Balogun stated.
