The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area command, seized smuggled items worth N109.5 million in September in the state.

The Kebbi Area controller, Mahmoud Matawalle-Ibrahim, made this known in his maiden news briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.

He said the seizures underscored the unwavering commitment of the NCS to safeguard the national resources and protect the economy from sabotage.

Mr Mutawalle-Ibrahim noted that the command had leveraged intelligence sharing, inter-agency cooperation, and collaboration with other customs units to curb illicit trade activities.

“Through the vigilance and dedication of Operation Whirlwind, the unit successfully intercepted 14,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with fees of N8.850 million.

“In the same vein, the officers of the command seized 20,975 litres of PMS valued at N12.58 million.

“These seizures amount to 1,429 Jerrycans of PMS, which were made at various identified flashpoints across Kebbi, including Bagudo, Lolo, Tsamiya, Bunza, Dakingari, Kamba, and Zuru/Mahakala, among others.

“The command also recorded the following seizures: 100 bales of second-hand clothing, 444 laptop-sized wraps of Cannabis Sativa, and 143 mini sacks of Donkey Meat,” he said.

Others, according to him, are; 140 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 100 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 20 jerrycans of vegetable oil, adding that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the items stood at N109.5 million.

He said the seizures were made through coordinated efforts of officers of the command and the Operation Whirlwind Unit, Zone ‘B’, in their ongoing fight against the smuggling of petroleum products across the state’s borders.

On revenue performance, Mr Matawalle-Ibrahim said the command generated N25.6 million in September, representing a 36.13 per cent increase compared to N18.8 million realised in August.

He attributed the improvement to reforms introduced to strengthen revenue generation, including stakeholder consultations, review of operational modalities, and improved collaboration with customs counterparts in Niger Republic through the Kamba border axis.

On inter-agency collaboration, Mr Matawalle-Ibrahim, recalled that he had paid courtesy visits to sister security agencies in the state, aimed at enhancing intelligence sharing and operational cooperation.

He assured the command’s readiness to continue to maintain close working relationships with relevant agencies to ensure effective suppression of smuggling and other cross-border crimes.

Mr Matawalle-Ibrahim reaffirmed the command’s commitment to supporting the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale-Adeniyi, in enhancing revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security.

“Through innovation, collaboration, and dedication, Kebbi Area Command will continue to contribute meaningfully to safeguarding our national economy and ensuring the security of our borders,” he said.

The command also officially handed over 143 pieces of donkey meat to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and 444 wraps of Cannabis Sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). 

(NAN)