TheNewsGuru

Tag: Nigerian Customs

  • Nigeria-Niger border closure: Customs enforces presidential directive

    Nigeria-Niger border closure: Customs enforces presidential directive

    Following the recent overthrow of a democratically elected government in Niger Republic, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun implementation of presidential directive on closure of the Nigeria-Niger border.

    The Acting Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, re-echoed President Bola Tinubu’s reason for taking the action, noting that the measure was not meant to bring hardship on Nigerians.

    The CGC, who was on a working visit to Illela Border Station to monitor implementation of the exercise, expressed delight with the level of compliance by residents.

    He said the restriction was a decision taken by ECOWAS, which the Nigerian President chairs, adding that the government is optimistic that the effort will yield results and restore peace.

    He also said the exercise would secure Nigeria’s democracy and social stability, given the current state of uncertainty in neighbouring Niger Republic.

    On whether the exercise will affect customs’ revenue generation, the CGC said the Service was aware of the situation and had already taken proactive steps to address it strategically.

    He reiterated that the Tinubu administration is committed to protecting the well-being of citizens, and their businesses, expressing optimism that borders would soon be opened for businesses to thrive.

    The Comptroller General also engaged traditional rulers and other stakeholders at the Illela border. Aminu Dan-Iya, chairman, Association of Customs Licensed Agents, who spoke on behalf of stakeholders, consoled residents regarding the restriction, saying the decision would benefit all.

    Acting Comptroller General, Mrs. Caroline Adepoju, made the call while addressing personnel at the Illela border, yesterday. Adepoju also underscored the need for intelligence gathering to forestall any security issue.

    She said: “Here, the bandits have challenged us by attacking our men and even killing some of them. Security is the business of everyone. We are going to work; we need the support of our sister agencies and the people who live in border communities.

    “Migration is important, even to economic growth, but we don’t want bad people that have a negative impact on our security. So, we are going to fight them and stop them from coming to our country.”

     

  • Kaduna youths flay Customs boss over employment opportunities

    Kaduna youths flay Customs boss over employment opportunities

    The Kaduna Youths Forum has criticised the Controller-General of Nigerian Customs Service, Rtd Colonel Hameed Ali, for failing to provide them with employment opportunities.

    A press statement signed by the Coordinator, Ismail Mustapha Soba, and made available to TheNewsGuru noted that job opportunities would have assisted in tackling the problem of insecurity that has plagued the state and the north in general.

    The group said there were high expectations from Ali who should have used his position to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths, noting that he had failed them.

    They therefore singled out Ali who they alleged has done nothing tangible to create job opportunities for them after working and supporting the All Progressives Congress to win the 2015 elections.

    Related Story

    They recalled that they were mobilised to join the nationwide 2012 fuel subsidy protest in Kaduna that later led to the downfall of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

    They noted further, “When we were invited for the protest alongside Late Former Governor of defunct Kaduna, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former lawmaker, Senator Shehu and Col. Hameed Ali himself with several prominent Nigerians and we did so with hope that our unemployment problem and the disturbing security challenges facing the North would be history.”

    According to the group, since Ali was appointed the Comptroller General of Customs by the President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he was yet to employ any known Kaduna youth.

    They therefore challenged Ali to make public the state-by-state employment records to prove them wrong.

    “We stand to be corrected, from our records and information gathered, he has never employed any serious person in Kaduna into customs, he just turned to Bauchi State.

    “He should know that part of the reasons Buhari appointed him as the Comptroller-General was to tackle chronic problems in service, including personnel shortage,” it added

    While stressing that personnel shortage would be solved with the recruitment of thousands of personnel for active duty, the group noted: “It was expected that he visits Kaduna regularly to feel the pulse of the ordinary citizens, as we speak, he has not found time to meet the youths that labour for Buhari’s election victory.

    “Even when a list of youths was compiled to assist them into Customs, he didn’t even the see the person, who went to submit it talkless of taking action.

    “If nothing is done to make amends, we would be left with no option to mobilise for his sack,” the group further threatened.

  • Customs gives update on vehicle identification number valuation

    Customs gives update on vehicle identification number valuation

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the suspended Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Valuation on imported vehicles to be deployed on Friday has been imputed with human face values.

    The Controller Valuation of NCS headquarters, Comptroller Anthony Udenze, made this known at a sensitisation programme ahead of the relaunch of VIN valaution on Thursday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NCS in February introduced the VIN-Valuation policy on imported vehicle but it was rejected by customs agents .

    However, the clearing agents, vehicle importers and the NCS at the end of the sensitisation programme agreed that the suspended VIN valuation policy should be deployed on Friday.

    The policy was suspended to give room for adjustments in the values imputed in the system.

    Udenze said that the VIN valuation policy would facilitate trade when deployed.

    He said that customs had given a human face to the values imputed in the system adding that accidented vehicles and salvage vehicles were considered.

    “What we are presenting today is a uniformity and unification of values from all the area commands.

    “The committee looked at various issues and at the end of one month, we called stakeholders to a meeting in Abuja and showed them what we have done, they pointed out some areas which we have put in place,” he said.

    Udenze noted that House of Representatives members were invited to look at what was done and they were happy with the concept.

    “And today, we are here to showcase and sensitise all stakeholders that VIN- valuation has come to stay and after this, we are rolling out VIN valuation over the weekend.

    “By Monday, if you are capturing on Saturday, you are going to apply the VIN- Valuation.

    “I assure you that you will be surprised and happy to see what you will get. We have considered all the variants, all series of vehicles have been considered. What you get today will be more favourable to what you have been getting before,” he said.

    Also speaking, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf said that the world was evolving and customs would not remain static in the moving world.

    Yusuf said that a lot of control had been imputed for checks and balances, stressing that any mistake made would be discovered.

    “Automation of customs process is very essential and valuation of vehicles is not out of place. Now, some agents can sit down in their bedroom, and process clearance of their cargoes.

    “The new digital Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) is another good development. Nigeria is not going to stay behind watching people take advantage of digital technology for business facilitation.

    “If there is anything we need to adjust, let us know. We will adjust it, but their is no going back on the VIN valuation,” he said.

    In his contribution, Comptroller Festus Okun of the PTML Command, noted that with Vin valuation, there would be uniformity and predictability and convenience.

    “We have always been talking about trade facilitation and this means applications of modern techniques into processes and at the same time improve on the quality of control in a harmonised manner.

    “I employ everyone to be on the same page. We should work together to see that this thing works in an environment that will promote trade and everybody will be beneficiaries,” he said.

    Also, Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede of TinCan Island Command, said that VIN Valuation implementation would help the country to tackle security challenges due to integration of system with security agencies.

    “I appeal to stakeholders to be transparent because this is beyond customs.

    “Its benefits if rightly implemented will give us accurate statistics for national use, make integration easy between customs and other MDA’s including you stakeholders, it will enhance easy of doing business and it will facilitate legitimate trade,” he said.

    Dr Kayode Farinto, the Acting President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), urged agents on the need for compliance to enable customs give them auto-release for vehicles.

    According to Farinto, auto-release is the agents right and so customs should also do the needful to ensure seamless process.

    He noted that the way customs were increasing the value of PAAR was not professional, stressing that it would make stakeholders to circumvent the process.

  • Customs intercepts 9 containers of wood, seizes N78m codeine

    Customs intercepts 9 containers of wood, seizes N78m codeine

    The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted nine containers of unprocessed and semi-processed wood at the point of loading into a vessel.

    The Customs Area Controller of the Command, Mr Malanta Yusuf, disclosed this in a statement, signed by the Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Usman, and made available to journalists in Lagos on Thursday.

    Yusuf explained that the wood seized is worth N70.5 million, noting that an unregistered pharmaceutical (codeine syrup and col caps), with a duty paid value of N78.7 million, was also seized.

    Yusuf attributed the success of the command to inter-agency synergy between customs and its sister agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    “The collaboration with NDLEA has helped in gathering intelligence, leading to seizures of prohibited items as the command acted swiftly based on reliable information.

    “Efforts at making Apapa Port a no-go area for unlawful trade will always be sustained while ensuring that maximum revenue is collected and remitted into government coffers,” he said.

    He said that the unregistered pharmaceuticals were discovered in a container number TCKU 6800526 which was laden with 702 cartons of codeine syrup.

    While arrests are yet to be made, the CAC said investigation is ongoing by the Customs and the NDLEA to detect, arrest and prosecute perpetrators of the illegal importation.

    The Comptroller noted that these seizures of timber and rock balsam contravened Sections 63 and 64 of the Export Trade (improper exportation of items).

    “The command is going to make sure that recalcitrant traders are brought to book and exportation of prohibited items are not allowed to pass through Apapa port,” he said.

    Yusuf reiterated the command’s commitment to surpass its revenue collection of N870 billion in 2021.

    He noted that a total of N95.3 billion was collected in January which surpassed the N54.3 billion collected in the same period in 2021 by N39 billion.

    The NDLEA Commander in Apapa Port, Samuel Gadzama, also promised stronger synergy his customs counterpart to prevent such illegal importation.

    He explained that after going through the normal court processes, the seized drugs would be publicly destroyed in line with extant laws.

  • Customs seizes N10b contraband

    Customs seizes N10b contraband

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ said over the weekend that it interrupted contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N10 billion.

     

    The acting Customs Area Controller of the unit, Usman Yahaya said the illegal imports comprised 34 fairly used and new vehicles which were laden with secondhand clothes, Indian hemp and foreign parboiled rice.

     

    “Some economic saboteurs met their waterloo when our operatives, acting on credible information, made a single seizure at Ido, Eruwa Road-Ibadan of Oyo State.

     

     

    “The contraband include 34 different brands of both new and used vehicles laden with banned items such as second hand clothes, foreign parboiled rice and Indian hemp, he said.

     

  • Customs seize 1,072 vehicles, 19,000 bags of foreign rice

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says it has seized no fewer than 1,072 vehicles from suspected smugglers since the closure of Nigerian borders with neighbouring countries.

    NCS Public Relations’ Officer, Mr Joseph Attah made the disclosure on Friday in Katsina during a sensitisation programme on the Border Drill Operation.

    He said that the vehicles were seized while trying to cross into the country through illegal routes.

    Attah said that over 19,000 bags of foreign rice and 4,765 Jerry cans of petrol were also seized adding that two fuel tankers were also impounded.

    The PRO revealed that thousands of ammunition were seized, while 317 suspects were arrested during the period.

    He said that 131 bags of NPK fertilisers, which would have been used to make explosive device were seized, while 146 illegal immigrants without genuine travel documents were arrested.

    He pointed out that the closure had helped in ensuring security for the citizens as well as improved the nation’s economy.

    “Anytime you buy a foreign rice, you have empowered foreign farmers, while our farmers are suffering in spite of government interventions like Anchor Borrower, which is aimed at boosting rice production.

    “We are now like candles burning ourselves and lightening others,”he said.

    He, however, justified why the government launched the ongoing Border Drill Operation to check the menace of smuggling and illegal immigrants into the country.

    In his remarks, the State Coordinator, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Armayau Rimaye, said that the country has potentials for self sufficiency in food production.

    He said that such could only be achieved if Nigerians continue to support government policies like the Border Drill Operation.

  • 90% of cars in Nigeria are smuggled – Customs boss

    The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), on Thursday said 90 per cent of cars in the country were smuggled into the country by unscrupulous elements.

    Ali, who said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja, alleged that many vehicles on display for sale in auto shops across the country were also smuggled.

    He explained that the recent raids of the various car dealers’ spots in some parts of the country were to ascertain whether the vehicles were brought in genuinely or not.

    According to him, the country needs revenue for development, hence, it became necessary to collect duties on those smuggled vehicles.

    “We want to use this opportunity to ensure that cars within our borders are fully customised, which means duties are paid on them.

    ” We are looking for revenue from everywhere and we have these people who brought in vehicles and failed to pay duties.

    “What we are doing now, we are just enforcing the law, which allows us to collect revenue on behalf of Nigeria and also ensure those vehicles you and I will go and buy have genuine papers that are roadworthy.

    “If you meet our officers on the road and they ask for the papers, if they discover you have not paid your duties, they will seize the vehicles.

    “We are doing all these to save car buyers from running into trouble,” he explained.

    The customs boss said the organisation would continue to mount road block from time to time to stop vehicles to ensure duties were paid on cars.

    “The law allows us to stop you and ask for the car papers, if your papers are intact, we thank you and bless you, if it is otherwise, we will ask you to pay the duties

    “If we find out you are not a smuggler, you are just an innocent buyer, we will value the car and ask you to pay the required duties on the car and you will be freed,” he said.

  • Recruitment: Customs speaks on applicants’ challenges on portal

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says complains of applicants arising from recruitment portal has been resolved.

    The NSC Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

    NAN reports that NCS opened its portal on Wednesday, April 17, for the recruitment of 3,200 officers and men to the service.

    Attah said the complaints were mainly on non-capturing of some institutions attended by applicants in the portal system and that had been resolved.

    “Some institutions were not earlier captured by the portal system, when our attention was drawn to it, we resolved that immediately.

    “Other challenges are on poor network which is not our fault but where the applicants are applying from and also the situation where applicants did not enter required information as demanded by the portal.

    ” There must be a little challenge, it is expected when people in hundreds are applying at the same time.

    “Though, we have a robust platform capable of taking this pressure. our server is effective and we are collaborating with some service providers to ensuring the exercise is efficient,” he said.

    The spokesperson who did not give the figure of the number of applicants so far applied, said the process was growing on 24 hours.

  • NAFDAC, customs seize tramadol worth N193bn in one year

    NAFDAC, customs seize tramadol worth N193bn in one year

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control says it has confiscated containers of tramadol with a street value of N193bn.

    In a statement by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the seizures were made during a joint examination of containers at the Apapa Port, Lagos which was coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service.

    According to Adeyeye, about 23 out of 80 40ft containers on the agency’s watch list since November 2017 were examined on Wednesday, November 14 and Thursday, November 15 and it contained tramadol.

    The statement read in part, “These examined containers consist of 128,922 cartons of high strength of tramadol (120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg), which was estimated to be worth about N6,446,100,000 in addition to 321,146 cartons of other unregistered pharmaceutical products. The worth of tramadol on the street is estimated to be at about N193,383,000,000 on an average cost of N1,500,000 per carton of tramadol.”

    She said the drugs emanated from India, adding that the seizure was an outcome of previous communications with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service in September 2018 about containers suspected to be conveying tramadol and other unregistered pharmaceuticals as well as other NAFDAC regulated products.

    She said about 23 40ft containers examined so far were loaded with tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg and other unregistered pharmaceutical products that are known to be injurious to the health of the public, most importantly the youth.

    “Since then, the Port Inspections Directorate of NAFDAC has been tracking these containers with daily update on the progress,” Adeyeye said.

    Adeyeye said the prevention of these dangerous drugs from entering into the Nigerian markets would protect millions of youths from hazards of drug addiction which can pose threat to families, Nigerian workforce and the security of the nation at large.

    “Of course, this would have increased the number of casualties from insurgency, armed robbery and other social vices which are known to be the aftermath effect of use of illicit drugs,” the NAFDAC boss said.

    She thanked Customs for cooperating with the agency, adding that strengthening the synergy between them was the best way to boost effectiveness.

  • Tin Can Customs Command generates N29.4bn in January

    The Tin Can Island Customs Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated N29.4 billion in January 2018, up from N19.8 billion generated in the corresponding period of 2017.

    The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

    “For January 2017, we actually had N19,834,314,976 but in January 2018, we realised something very remarkable and spectacular and that figure is N29,452,828,367.07 kobo.

    “The Customs administration we have over the past two years in Tin Can have actually created a clear paradigm from what it used to be in the past.

    “The controllers are the people who have penchants for success. They have penchants for turning things around.”

    He said that the new Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Baba-Musa, had tasked officers to ensure they recover all revenues for government.

    “As the controller came on board, he started fine-tuning his methodologies.

    “First and foremost, identifying all grey areas; identifying areas of revenue leakages, engaging stakeholders in an interactive forum from time to time.

    “Setting up a training centre where we trained not just our officers on the rudiments of the job as is expected in terms of global best practices.

    “We also ensure that we train the stakeholders including the media, to be sure that they key into the change mantra and ideology of the Customs Comptroller-General.

    “So all of these factors actually led to the success we that we recorded,“ he said.

    Ejesieme urged the Federal Government to assist in repairing the port access road leading to the Tin Can Port to enable the command record more success in revenue generation.

    He said that the annual target of the command for 2018 is N354.6 billion, saying that the monthly target stood at N29.5 billion.