Joyce Mmereole Okoli
In a media briefing held today at Ikeja, Lagos State, Mohammed Sani Yusuf, the Customs Area Controller of Nigeria Customs Service Murtala Muhammed Airport Command, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the command in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year.
Despite facing global economic challenges and an unstable exchange rate, the command has demonstrated resilience in revenue generation and anti-smuggling efforts. Yusuf announced that the command surpassed its revenue collection records for the first quarter of 2024, with a remarkable increase of 111.7% compared to the previous year, amounting to N45.23 billion.
In addition to revenue collection, the command has intensified its anti-smuggling drive, resulting in significant interceptions. Notable seizures include 50 pieces of 9mm live ammunition, 1,164kg of sea cucumbers, 58kg of donkey genitals, and 17 packages of Tramadol. The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of these seized items stood at N5.79 billion. Yusuf emphasized that all seized items contravened provisions of extant laws, particularly the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.
Yusuf shed light on seizure of sea cucumbers, which are sea animals resembling cucumbers, found underwater. These items, believed to have medicinal value in China, were illegally exported without the necessary permits. The owners, arrested by the command, claimed ignorance of the offense. However, Yusuf emphasized that ignorance is not an excuse under the law.
“Sea cucumbers are sea creatures that looks like cucumber and it is found under the water. It was brought from rivers, port harcourt areas and shipped out to this place. Am sure it has a medicinal value for those in china but not for Nigerians. Exportation of this items is not actually prohibited. It requires permits and since they don’t have a permit, we had to seize it. Even the owners did not know that they needed a permit . The owners have been arrested and investigations are ongoing .
“When we investigated we found out that the ones they have in china and other countries have been inflated. They had no other options than to come to our waters even though it is an offence. They have been doing this perhaps for a long time using other roots. But when they came here and used our roots they were caught and they claimed ignorance that they didn’t know it was an offence, but you know ignorance is not an excuse”, he said.
On the area of stakeholders Engagement, the controller noted that the Command has maintained its open-door policy and resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders.
“ Let me also at this juncture thank our critical Stakeholders, Sister Agencies and the Media for their collaborative efforts and synergy while carrying out our statutory mandate in the state.
Expressing gratitude, Yusuf thanked the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashiru Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and his management team for their support. He also commended the officers and men of the command for their dedication and urged them to remain focused in discharging their responsibilities.
“Finally, I want to use this medium to thank the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR and his Management team for their continued support as well as Officers and Men of the Command. I urge them to remain focused and steadfast in discharging their assigned responsibilities,” he concluded.
The media briefing underscores the commitment of Nigeria Customs Service Murtala Muhammed Airport Command to revenue generation, anti-smuggling efforts, and maintaining regulatory compliance in trade activities.