- Generates N127.364m
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Customs Area Comptroller, Kebbi State Command, Dr Ben Oramalugo, has disclosed that suspected smugglers of donkey skin resisted the anti-smuggling patrol for three days along the Bunza-Kamba-Maje axis of the state.
Oramalugo, who disclosed this during a press conference at the command headquarters, disclosed that a suspect, a Volvo truck and 414 sacks of dried donkeys meat and skins were recovered from the three days operations.
According to him, “On Sunday 14th May 2023, following an intelligence report on prohibited items about to be smuggled out of the country through Bunza down to Make Axix, we detailed our officers to increased surveillance along the said routes.
“And through stop-and-search, the officers were able to intercept a truckload of donkey skins and meat along Bunza-Kamba Axix. While conveying it to the command for further investigation, the officers were attacked by some unscrupulous elements from the village of Bunza, Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
“These bad elements broke the windscreen of two patrol vehicles belonging to the Command, forcing our officers to retreat. We later called for reinforcement from the army. Before the arrival of the army, the mob managed to whisk away the truck to the surrounding bushes. The Command officers and the army waited patiently until late hours before they continued with their operation. The truck and its content were eventually found at about 0100Hrs at different locations and had since been brought to the Command’s Headquarters for further investigation.”
He explained that the action of the smugglers contravened Section 63 (b) of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap C45 LFN, 2004 which gives Nigeria Customs Service the power to confiscate goods about to be exported in contravention of any law such as illegal trade of endangered species such as donkeys, pangolin, among others.
Oramalugo disclosed that items seized during the period under review include: 1 Volvo truck (6 tyres) fully loaded with 212 big-sized sacks and 202 small-sized sacks of donkey meat/skins, 4 used vehicles comprising 2 Toyota Camry 2013 and 2 used Honda Jazz 2005, 55 bales of secondhand clothes.
Other items seized included 4,925 litres of PMS, 13 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 5 kegs of vegetable oil, 1 blue Volvo truck (6 tyres) and 1 toyota corolla ash as means of conveyance, among others.
He said: “The Duty Paid Value of the seized items is ₦71,287,056. All these successes have been achieved through constant vigilance and intelligence gathering by the officers and men of the Command.”
While speaking on the Revenue generation, he disclosed that, in the month of April, they were able to generate a sum of ₦127,364,100 stressing that their target for the whole year is N1.50 billion.
While appreciating the efforts of all stakeholders, Oramalugo said that “the result on the ground was of the efforts we put in place through routine stakeholders engagements and applying advice received from community leaders and indigenous retired and serving security personnel DCGs with whom we are in contact and who help us with useful advice as we pay homage to them.
“To this end, we are extending our appreciation to patriotic Nigerians, eminent personalities, host communities and other stakeholders for their relentless effort towards providing useful information and advice. And to our sister agencies, we appreciate your prompt intervention when we seek reinforcement.”