…Auctions seized petroleum products
Isaac Anumihe with agency report
Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), has dissolved the 2017 Compliance Team and replaced it with a strike force.
The dissolution came as a container loaded with military uniforms and dangerous weapons disappeared from Apapa Port. The police at Lagos Ports Command have embarked on an intensive search for the missing container.
The container is allegedly loaded with military camouflage uniforms and other suspected dangerous weapons. The police said they instructed port officials not to clear the container but the officials said they had cleared the container before the police sent their instruction.
The Public Relations Officer of the Service, Mr. Joseph Attah, said in Abuja that the strike force team would be posted to the four zonal offices of the service in Lagos, Kaduna, Bauchi and Port Harcourt.
“The Customs strike force was set up to replace compliance team. This team is to operate under a different strategy. The team is empowered to enter any command system on suspicion of fraudulent activities taking place or about to take place with a view to blocking all revenue leakages from the system. The team is allowed to partake in the examination of any suspected container generated by the ICT,” he explained.
“The strike force will treat the information and return to base. It is the desire of the CGC to sanitise the system for optimum performance. This particular strategy will enhance free flow of goods on our highways,” he said.
According to him, the team will be under the co-ordination of a Deputy Comptroller assisted by four Assistant Comptrollers of Customs.
The container, which was reportedly loaded with military camouflage uniforms and other dangerous items passed through the terminal operation at the Port on Friday, January 26, but all efforts to block it by police detectives failed.
Meanwhile the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday began the auction of 2,150 Jerry cans intercepted smuggled Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol.
The petroleum products were seized in December in joint operations by the Seme Customs Command of the service.
Speaking to journalists, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba said the service decided to auction the petroleum products at city centre in order to prevent the smugglers from having access to the auction at the border.