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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command on Thursday said that it intercepted no fewer than seven hundred and thirty-two (732) bags of rice, eleven (11) vehicles and one hundred and seventy-five (175) litres of vegetable oil between January and March this year. The Customs Area Comptroller for Niger, Kwara and Kogi states, Mr. Yusuf Abba Kassim made this disclosure while addressing a press conference on Thursday in Minna, the Niger state capital. Kassim while speaking also disclosed that the command generated a total of eight hundred and fourteen million, seven hundred and fifty-five thousand, five hundred and sixty-three Naira eighty-six kobo (N814, 755, 563.86) in three months. He maintained that the command during the same period recorded a total seizure of 16 comprising rice, vegetable oil and used vehicles with a total DPV put at Nineteen Million One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Seven Hundred Naira (19, 120,700).
        Kassim said, On enforcing compliance of smuggling activities, the command recorded a total seizure of sixteen (16) comprising of rice, vegetable oil and used vehicles. The breakdown is as follows-: Seven hundred and thirty-two (732) bags of rice 50kg each with duty paid value (DPV) of 13, 510,400, eleven (11) assorted used vehicles with duty paid value (DPV) of five million, five hundred and thirty-five thousand, three hundred Naira (5, 535, 300), One hundred and Seventy Five (175) liters of Vegetable oil with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of 84,000. The Total DPV for all the seizures is put at Nineteen Million One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Seven Hundred Naira (19, 120,700). He said, “You are all welcome to the Niger/Kwara/Kogi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service. This is my first press briefing of the year 2019 as the Customs Area Controller. I recognize the critical role the media can play especially in the area of sensitization and enlightenment to all our stakeholders and the society at large.
        This is why I have called this briefing to partner with the media in order to achieve willful compliance from the public as well as to showcase what the Command is doing, our activities and the success recorded within the first three month of the year, The Command has two (2) approved border stations, Chikanda in Kwara State and Babanna in Niger State with the core function of suppressing smuggling; The Command equally engages in trade facilitation and Border Security and it is working hard to bring other excisable factories within its axis under Customs Control through market surveillance. In spite of lull in business activities due to 2019 general elections, between January to March this year, the Command has generated Eight Hundred and Fourteen Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Five thousand, Five hundred and Sixty Three Naira Eighty Six kobo (N814, 755, 563.86) which is the highest in the past three years, even when the Command is yet to receive official communication of the revenue target for the fiscal year 2019. In 2016, 2017, 2018 the Command generated Five Hundred and Thirty Nine Million, One Hundred and Thirty Six thousand, Ninety Eight Naira, Fifty Six Kobo (N 539, 136, 098.56) Four Hundred and Seventeen Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Six Thousand Two Hundred and sixty Six Naira Sixty Seven Kobo (N 417, 336, 266. 67) Three Hundred and Eighty Seven Million Two Hundred and Eleven Thousand Four Hundred and Seventeen Naira Forty Five Kobo (N 387, 211, 417.45) respectively. In January 2019, the Command generated 210, 466,789.18 which surpass with 94, 567, 317.31 of same month last year.
         In February this year which was an election month, we generated 4, 307,586.65 with difference of 142, 215, 970.9. By March we returned and recovered from heavy impact of the elections and generated 599,981,188.03 which surpass that of March last year with 475, 192,799. To this end, I would like to thank the Management of Nigeria Customs Service at the National level for creating an atmosphere conducive for the success recorded so far. I would like to send a note of warning to economic saboteur to steer clear of Niger/Kwara/Kogi area Command and engage in meaningful venture or else they will meet their Waterloo. My officers are properly trained and motivated to carry out their official duty without fear or favour. I urged officers to shun bribery and corruption or they will be shown the way out. Finally, the Command is determined to surpass the target set that might be for it by the management. It is our hope that our joint efforts in this year will yield better result as we anticipate going beyond the revenue achieved in the year 2018.