Skip to main content

FOU Owerri seizes 17 items, arrests 18 suspects


In a bid to stem the tide of smuggling contraband goods into the country, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 17 prohibited items with 21 underpayments recovery of N194.6million in  January. 2017. The Unit swiftly arrested 18 suspects in connection with the seized items.

The Public Relations officer of the Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Onuigbo, Ifeoma Ojekwu , disclosed this in a chat with Sunday Vanguard, explaining that the above figure is a combination of overall Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N122.2million and a recovery underpayment of N72.3million.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of the Unit, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba said that the seizures were made along Owerri, Benin, Enugu and Calabar axis. He said, “We intercepted 9 vehicles worth N35,900,920.00; 382 used tyres valued at N6,288,000.00 and 3,077 bags of 50kg foreign rice estimated at N80,093,300.00. Rice smuggling has the capacity to depress the nation’s economy, as it reduces government’s revenue, stifles domestic rice industries in addition to distorting supply and consumption data usually applied by the government as references for sound policy making and planning”.

Garba justified government ban on used tyres, stressing that such items in advanced nations are usually compressed and discarded for use in their countries of manufacturing, but later find their way into the country as a result of the activities of smugglers who in turn sell them to members of the public because of their perceived cheap prices.

He therefore warned those who are still trapped in illicit business of smuggling despite the obvious implications to purge themselves of this obnoxious business, which is detrimental to the nation’s economy.  He noted that the unbridled use of imported second-hand tyres  continues to wreck havoc on the nation’s highway with many lives being lost and others seriously injured.

He added, “NCS would remain steadfast in its resolve to ensure that no prohibited item gets across the nation’s borders, assuring that the Service is now more than ever fortified, trained and mobilised to meet its challenges.

I appeal to Nigerians with classified information about smugglers, their collaborators and agents to always make such information available to our officers and men for necessary action. NCS is not interested in witch-hunting or victimising anybody, group or association who are into legitimate business of importing and exporting, but would not entertain economic sabotage through illegal business of any kind.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FG Secures $7.5bn Loan From China For Rail Project

The Federal Government has secured $7.5 billion loan for the construction of standard rail gauge from Lagos to Kano, an official has said. The $7.5 billion is part of the $30 billion loan the Federal Government seeks to take and for which it has sought approval from the National Assembly. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed this on Monday at the North Central Town Hall meeting held in Ilorin for the people of Kogi, Niger and Kwara states, urged Nigerians to impress it on the National Assembly to approve the loan request so that the Federal Government can go ahead with the project. But the Senate in a statement by its spokesperson, Aliyu Abdullahi, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the minister’s claim was not only false but misrepresenting and contradictory to available facts. It insisted that the minister must withdraw the claim. According to Amaechi, the loan was secured from a Chinese bank and the ministry is waiting for approval of the National Asse...
Post a Comment
Read more

Photo Of The Longest Yam In Nigeria Harvested In Delta State

This is a giant yellow yam called or okpai in ukwuani and igangan in yoruba. This yam was harvested at12 months old. It took the farmers three days to harvest the longest one. These yam was produced in umuaja, ukwuani local government, delta state, Nigeria.
Post a Comment
Read more

Presidency Staff On Standby For Buhari's Return

Presidential aides were on Friday put on standby over the imminent return of President Muhammadu Buhari from London, United Kingdom. Buhari, who left Nigeria on January 19, was initially scheduled to return to the country last Sunday in preparation for resumption to office last Monday. However, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, later issued a statement announcing that Buhari had notified the National Assembly of his decision to extend his vacation. Adesina had attributed the extension to the need for the President to wait behind and receive the results of medical tests which he had undergone on the advice of his doctors. Sources at the Presidential Villa, Abuja told one of our correspondents on Friday that Buhari was being expected this weekend. The sources said that presidential aides and officials of the Protocol Unit, as well as security operatives, had been put on the alert over the President’s imminent arrival. One of the so...
Post a Comment
Read more