Seizes items worth N127.2m in 3 months
13 persons arrested
15 foreign nationals intercepted
By Demola Akinyemi
Coordinator, Joint Border Drill Operations, North Central Zone, Sector 3, Ilorin Kwara State Ag Assistant Comptroller General of Customs Mohammed Uba Garba has indicted residents of border communities of sabotaging the efforts of the Federal Government by working with smugglers, thereby making order of border closure fruitless.
Garuba who said this at a press conference in Ilorin on Tuesday while highlighting the activities of the joint border patrol in the last three months said 13 persons were arrested while 15 Benin Republic nationals who entered Nigeria for smuggling through bush path via Kabour-Okuta-Taso Road were intercepted and repatriated.
While noting that since joint border Operations commenced last year the sector three has seized 23,449 Bags of Rice, he said within the last three months, 111 seizures of different items were made which included the seizure of 1,212 bags of fertilizers with a duty paid value of N16,968,000.00.
Other seizures according to him include 2, 794 Bags of foreign rice equivalent to 46 trailers, 114 cartons of HIV drugs without NAFDAC number, 5 Units of various type of used vehicles, bales of second-hand clothing, 2units of used tyres, 13 bags of foreign sugar, 608 rums of PMS, 469 cans of 25 liters of AGO, 17 Motorcycle, 81 Cartons of foreign juice, 17 cartons of foreign natural water, 20 Jerry of 25 liters of vegetable oil, 31 bags of local maize, 17 bags of local beans with a total DPV of 7,222,800.00.
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He said that the federal government has banned the importation of fertilizer because of its high explosive nature and because some people use it to perpetrate evils.
His words; “The federal government discouraged the importation of fertiliser because of some unscrupulous elements in Nigeria who import them not for the agricultural purposes but to perpetrate evil acts, based on this, clearance for the importation of fertiliser must obtain approval through the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).”
Garuba said smuggling can be brought to lowest ebb only if the host communities and local dwellers stop seeing it as a means of livelihood and equally stop conspiring or assisting the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
He, therefore, appealed to border communities, especially Bokoru, Alapa, Chikanda, and Babanna axis to eschew from smuggling and not allow their towns to be used by smugglers. Community leaders in these areas should rise up to the challenge and cooperate with the sector to checkmate the activities of those who are into illegal businesses, who use their environs as safe routes and hiding places.”
He said, “is indeed disheartening and callous to report in some quarters that one year of border closure is fruitless.”
