Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has confirmed that its has impounded various contraband with Duty Paid Valued of N253 million within three months of 2020 in Kebbi State. The Customs Area Controller of the state, Comptroller Yusuf Garba, who confirmed this during a press conference in Birnin Kebbi , explained that the command had recorded the giant strides in their anti- smuggling activities from February 10 to May 10,2020 in the state.
Some of the seized items includes 22,750 pieces of new textile materials; four trucks fully loaded with hides; and skins and 1,055 bags of 50 kg, 50 bags of 100kg and 20 cartons of 25kg each of foreign parboiled rice among others.
He said: “Given the position of Kebbi State, which shares borders with two of our neighbors, Niger Republic to the West and Benin Republic to the South, the command is mainly saddled with anti- smuggling activities for now that our land borders are partially closed.
“We have recorded giant strides in our antin smuggling activities culminating in the seizure 22,750 pieces of new textile materials; four trucks fully loaded with hides; and skins and 1,055 bags of 50 kg, 50 bags of 100kg and 20 cartons of 25kg each of foreign parboiled rice.
“Others are: 3,159 bags of 50 kg each of foreign NPK fertilizer; 171 bales of second hand clothes and used foot wears ; 256 cartons of lightening cream and 90 sacks of power snuff as well as 43 vehicles and other sundry items,” he said.
According to him, the duty paid value of the seized items is over N253 million. Garba also added that the command had seized 73,438 litres of petroleum products at different locations meant yo be smuggled out of the country within the period under review. “Owing to the combustible nature of the products, they have since been auctioned to the public along with other perishable items with the proceeds amounting to N16.5 million remitted to the Federal Government coffers in accordance with extant laws,” he said.