Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Kaduna-Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated a total of about N852 million in excise duties for the month of August 2018, the Area Commander, Oyeleke Abdulrasaq, said at a press briefing in Katsina on Tuesday.
The figure was about N342 million more than the revenue generated earlier in July 2018.
Under its anti-smuggling trade facilitation activities, Abdulrasaq said that his officers and men also made 81 seizures of various prohibited products valued at about N32 million from smugglers.
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The commander listed some of the seized goods to include 606 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 239 of sugar, 73 bales of used clothes, as well as 327 jerry cans of vegetable oil, among other items.
Decrying the high level of smuggling of foreign rice into the country, especially through Katsina, Abdulrasaq urged religious and traditional rulers in the area to enlighten the people on the negative effects of smuggling prohibited items.
“They should rather support the Federal Government policy on rice farming, as this will create more job opportunities for citizens and boost the nation’s economy,” he said.