In Southwest Nigeria in 2022, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reported seizing illicit goods worth N13.9 billion.
The unit reported that throughout the investigation period, it also detained 176 individuals in connection with the smuggled goods in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo.
Hussein Ejibunu, the unit’s acting controller, made this statement yesterday while displaying seized goods to reporters at the unit’s warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos.
The list of objects also includes automobiles, pharmaceuticals, textiles, petroleum products, and other things that are prohibited from import. According to Ejibunu, rice accounted for the majority of the seizures with 93,102 bags, or 156 trailer loads.
There were 108 vehicles, including trucks, tankers, cars, and motorcycles, that were either utilized to transport illicit goods or were themselves being trafficked.
In addition, authorities seized 2,354 kg and 4,975 tablets of Cannabis sativa, 233 cartons and 82 packs of Tramadol in 225-milligram doses, and 656,414 gallons of premium motor spirit (PMS), or roughly 20 tanker loads of fuel. Speaking about the smugglers who were apprehended, Ejibunu claimed that the unit had obtained seven convictions, with 14 being charged in court and through various phases of investigation and prosecution while seven suspects were being held in jail.
According to him, out of the 151 suspects on administrative bail, two suspects were turned over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and one suspect was turned over to the Nigeria Police Force.
Ejibunu said that while pursuing smugglers, the unit lost four of its personnel. He also alleged that individuals responsible for some of the deaths had been apprehended and would now stand trial.
Speaking about income creation, Ejibunu claimed that the unit made up for duty payment deficits and collected N878, 344, 486.96 in total as revenue for the government in 2022.
He claimed that if not for the unit’s action in making sure the proper duties were paid into the government coffers, the gathered revenue would have been lost.
He said that throughout the time period under consideration, the unit supported the facilitation of legal commerce by ensuring that complying traders could pass easily and by double-checking suspected non-compliant dealers.
