Customs at Nigeria’s Premier Port Rake in Over N1trn in Half Year Report

The Apapa Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has raked in a total of one trillion, twenty-three billion, six hundred and sixty-three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, two hundred and fifty-five naira, sixty-three kobo (N1,023,663,842,255.63) only in its half year report.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, attributed the feat to a detailed approach to addressing “leakages” in the Service’ operations at bonded terminals within it’s jurisdiction.

Making the revelation earlier today, Olomu also disclosed that followng his assumption of office, the Command introduced a Revenue Recovery Committee to tighten the noose around lax areas of mostly bonded terminals.

He explained that the figure generated represents 143% increase when compared to the amount generated last year within the same period under review which stood at N421,382,166,378.46.

He said: “Upon taking over as Area Controller of Apapa, I set up a revenue recovery committee comprising of seasoned and dedicated officers with a mandate to carryout more detailed look into areas of leakages, especially in bonded terminals under Apapa Command.

“We are applying a blend of intelligence with community relations for better awareness of our operating environment to achieve greater trade facilitation and fight criminality.

“I have a team of dedicated officers charged with the responsibility of addressing all complaints or disputes within record time before escalation to my office for prompt action.”

Equally, in its drive to curb smuggling, the Command equally made seizures of 11 containers of prohibited items including expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, footwears, used clothing, armored cables, frozen poultry products, among others with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N424,105,975.

According to him, three by 40ft containers laden with expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals with registration numbers TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, MRSU 5550243, and another three by 40ft container nos. MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559 and MEDU 9752980 loaded with 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption were arrested last week.

Addressing this situation, he said: “Let me state that the harmful effects of fake and unregistered pharmaceutical products on citizens are unquantifiable and as a responsible Service, we owe Nigerians the duty of preventing them from being exposed to this dangerous importation.

“I want to use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion and other forms of criminality frowned upon by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other extant laws, that Apapa command is poised to nip illicit importation in the bud.”

He also added that as part of efforts to upscale service delivery, the Command has reformed the handling of transires by ensuring more meticulous management of cargoes moving from the mother port to bonded terminals to prevent a situation where smugglers attempt to perpetuate illegalities.