The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oyo-Osun Area Command on Thursday revealed it has arrested no fewer than four persons in connection with various smuggling activities in both Oyo and Osun states in the month of January.
The new Customs Area Controller in charge of Oyo and Osun states, Controller Christopher Odibu who made this disclosure while briefing journalists on the activities of the command, also declared that one suspect whose case was still in the court for fraudulently parading himself as a custom officer has been arrested.
While speaking on the revenue drive of the command in the year 2017, informed that the command generated the sum of seventeen billon, six hundred and three million, three hundred and fifty nine thousand, seventy three naira, four kobo (N 17, 603, 359, 073.4k) in 2017 saying that the figure represents about 85.3% of the total target of the command in 2017.
While speaking further, he said that the command in 2017 made a total seizures with the duty paid value of two hundred and fifteen million, five hundred and eighty eight thousand, five hundred and twenty eight naira, sixty three kobo (N215,588,528.63k with a promise that the command under his watch was determined to work harder to surpass the previous year in the areas of revenue generation and compliance.
Odibu, while speaking on the efforts of his men in combating smuggling since his assumption on 17th January this year, also disclosed that his men since assumption of office have seized no fewer than 375 bags of rice, 271 Bales of second hand clothes, 60 kegs of vegetable oil, 2 trucks, 43 sacks of used shoes, 6 Tokunbo cars and 600 bags of fertilizer.
The new CAC explained further “One used Toyota Liteace (Tokunbo car), one used white color Toyota Dyna (Tokunbo) carrying 40 bags of smuggled rice and 12 bales of second hand clothes, one used blue color Peugeot 406 Saloon car, one used gold color Toyota Corolla car, one used green color Mazda car, one used white color Ford bus carrying 80 bags of smuggled rice, one used J5 carrying 80 bags of rice, One used dark blue color Volkswagen golf saloon carrying 25 bags of rice, One used man diesel carrying computer accessories, 131 bales of second hand clothes and 40 sacks of used shoes, one used dark blue Volkswagen golf saloon carrying 25 bags of smuggled rice, one used ash color Volkswagen golf saloon carrying 20 bags of smuggled rice, one used grey color Volkswagen golf saloon carrying 25 bags of smuggled rice, one used blue color Volkswagen gold saloon carrying 20 bags of smuggled rice, one used white color Volkswagen golf saloon carrying 25 bags smuggled rice, one used blue color DAF Truck carrying 600 bags of fertilizer and 54 bales of second hand clothes, 35 bags of smuggled rice and 60 kegs of vegetable oil.
The total duty paid value of the seized items according to him was put at seventy seven million, seven hundred and fifty three thousand, four hundred and ninety two naira, eight kobo (77, 753, 492.8k).
Packaged by Ojo Peter
