The Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service Oyo/Osun Area Command, Mr Abdullahi Zulkifli has called on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to appeal to the people of Kishi over their perceived smuggling activities.
The command also, on Wednesday said it has arrested no fewer than 35 suspects, intercepted 93 vehicles and other smuggled items.
The Comptroller of the Command, Abdullahi Zulkifli made all these known during a press briefing which was held at the command’s headquarter in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to the custom boss, “thirty five suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling of different goods, five has been charged to court, while others are on bail.
While explaining the breakdown of the vehicles sized, Zulkifli noted that the total duty paid for the 93 vehicles that were sized is put at One Hundred and Five Million, Ninety Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira.
“One used blue color Peugeot 406, one used ash color Toyota Corolla, one used black color Toyota Sequoia, one used white color Toyota Highlander, and 38 means of conveyance vehicles was sized.”
He explained further that the command also sized “Six thousand, Sixty Seven 50kilogram bags of imported parboiled rice, Seven Hundred and Thirty 25litres kegs of vegetable oil, 39 Bales of second hand clothings, Fifty 50kilogram bags of sugar, Nine Hundred Ninety Six pieces of used tyres, and 6bundles of textile materials”.
The Custom’s boss pointed out that the press briefing was to keep the general public abreast of the achievements and successes of the command’s anti smuggling operations, stressing that in the anti smuggling front, the command has ensured that it leaves no stone unturned in combating smuggling and the challenges posed by smugglers as custom will continue to intensify intelligence and operational strategies in the course of suppressing smuggling.
“In our efforts to combat smuggling, we commissioned Custom Outpost at Kishi Community in Irepo Local Government Area of Oyo State, because Kishi people have been long perceived to engage in smuggling with impunity because of their hostility to officers of the Nigeria Customs Service.”
He, however, appealed to the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde to prevail on Kishi people to refrain from their perceived activities and eschew the avowed hostility to officers of the Nigeria Customs Service so as to save themselves from the long arm of law, saying that his men will continue to dialogue, engage and educate the local and business communities on the security and economic implications of smuggling, while carrying out the statutory functions of enforcing compliance with the government fiscal policy.
“Let me express my appreciation to the leadership and people of the community in maintaining a healthy rapport with the service in the course of discharging the enormous task of suppressing smuggling, facilitating trade and making the business environment congenital for men and women in legitimate business, the people should know that smuggling is an ill wind that will not blow anybody any good.”
Packaged by Ojo Peter
