The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun 1 Area Command, has successfully intercepted a total of 22,526 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, as well as seized 392 items, including five luxurious buses, that were smuggled into the country through the Ohumbe land border between January and June 2023.
In a press briefing on the command’s performance over the past six months, the Customs Area Controller, Bamidele Makinde, reported that the cumulative Duty Paid Value of the seizures amounted to N1,313,628,488. Additionally, seven individuals suspected of engaging in smuggling activities were apprehended during this period.
Makinde further explained that the interception of the 22,526 bags of foreign rice took place in various border areas of the state, such as Ipokia, Ilara, and Imeko. The command’s overall seizures during the review period comprised 5,048 pieces of used tires, 390 bales of used clothing, 61 vehicles (including five luxury buses), 173,975 liters of petrol (equivalent to five tanker loads), 107 sacks, and 1,595 wraps of cannabis sativa, as well as 167 cartons of 100x100ml codeine syrup and 27 cartons of 200x100ml codeine syrup.
Furthermore, the command generated a total of N93,301,130 in revenue from import duties, auction sales of Premium Motor Spirit, and the sale of confiscated vehicles. A comparative analysis of the command’s performance during this review period and the corresponding period of 2022 revealed a significant increase in revenue.
Makinde affirmed the command’s commitment to combating rice smuggling and other prohibited items in support of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy on local production, as they strive to encourage and promote domestic manufacturing.
