‘2024 Will Be Rough For Economic Saboteurs’ Ejibunu Warns

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Customs Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Comptroller Kehinde Hussein Ejibunu has sent early warning to smugglers and others of similar intents that 2024 will not tolerate their activities and urged would be economic saboteurs to either leave the zone or be ready to have their illicit businesses crushed.

Comptroller Ejibunu who dropped the warning Wednesday while briefing the press on the unit’s scorecard for 2023 said the unit recorded a total of 1,119 seizures worth a Duty Paid Value of N10,395,123,943.

He listed the seizures to include rice, vehicles, marijuana, tramadol, used tyres, poultry products, footwears, petroleum products; prominent among which is the seizure is 83,170 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to 139 trailer loads.

He gave the breakdown of other seizures as follows: 3,706 kegs by 25 litres of PMS, 8,372 Kg of Indian Hemp, 2,942 pieces of tyres, 2,153 bales of used clothes, 3,095 cartons of frozen poultry, 320 cartons illicit drugs, 15 pieces of bullet proof jackets, 15 pieces of jack knives, and 68 pieces of military camouflage.

Others include 450 drums X 106 kg of carbide, 1 X 40 ft and 2 X 20 ft containers found to contain charcoal, and 132 units of foreign used vehicles.

He explained that while a total of 136 persons were arrested at various points in connection to some of the seizures, 16 of them were prosecuted and convicted through the Federal High Courts for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, and being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and Pangolin scales meant for export.

The FOU Zone A boss explained that some other smuggling related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently.

“This year 2024,we shall continue, through our legal seat, to follow all pending court cases to logical conclusions”, he said.

He also disclosed that the unit recovered a total ofN851,719,905.01 in revenue receipt through meticulous checking of documentations.

“We were able to identify shortfalls in duty payments from which demand notices were issued and accurate revenue were recovered. These are revenues that would have been lost by the federal government to the pockets of some non compliant business men.”

I want to reiterate that our battle to prevent smuggling will be intensified this year as we shall not relent in making seizures, arrests and prosecution of criminals who contravene the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.If they don’t desist from their criminal ways, this year will be tougher for them because they will lose their investments and freedom when arrested.

Let me put on record that we shall lawfully arrest and prosecute any individual involved in the attack of our officers who are discharging their legitimate responsibilities. No attacker of our personnel will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law.

His 2024 projection was essentially to tighten the noose and strengthen all forms of leakages as they are identified; with a focus to frustrate all forms of illegilities within the customs trade.

“I want to reiterate that our battle to prevent smuggling will be intensified this year as we shall not relent in making seizures, arrests and prosecution of criminals who contravene the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.If they don’t desist from their criminal ways, this year will be tougher for them because they will lose their investments and freedom when arrested.

“Let me put on record that we shall lawfully arrest and prosecute any individual involved in the attack of our officers who are discharging their legitimate responsibilities. No attacker of our personnel will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law.”

He thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his management team for its support throughout last year and for those to come, and also lauded compliant traders within our zone for sticking to the rules.