From Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto Area Command, yesterday, said it has made 103 seizures worth of N161,337,003 from May to October this year.
The command also generated N829.4 million within the period under review.
Speaking with journalists in Sokoto during the presentation of his stewardship in the last six months, the Area Comptroller, Nasir Ahmed, said the seizures include vehicles, foreign rice, vegetable oil, clothing materials and elephant tusks.
Giving the breakdown, Ahmed disclosed that 39 vehicles with duty paid value of N83.6 million were seized. He also listed some of the seized items to include 1,842 50kg and 25kg bags of foreign rice with the duty paid value of N27.9 million.
Others include 976 25kg jerry cans of vegetable oil, 208 bales of secondhand clothes and two pieces of elephant tusks with the duty paid value of N13.9 million, N12.3 million and N14.4million, respectively.
Ahmed admitted that porous and un-delineated borders were making anti-smuggling operations very challenging in the area.
“The area has 11 approved border stations, which were vast and porous in which during dry season many bush paths and farmlands become easy access for smugglers.
“But we will continue to do everything possible to protect the Nigerian economy and to enforce government policies on imports and exports,” Ahmed said
The comptroller praised the doggedness of the officers who had contributed to the seizure and urged them not to relent in their efforts.