Apapa Customs generates N1tr in six months

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, said, yesterday, that it collected a whooping One trillion, twenty-three billion, six hundred and sixty-three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, two hundred- and fifty five-naira, sixty-three kobo between January d June this year.

Addressing reporters in Lagos yesterday, its Area Controller, Babatunde Olomu said, the figure is an increase of 143 per cent above the figures of Four hundred and twenty-one billion, three hundred and eighty-two million, one hundred and sixty-six thousand, three hundred- and seventy-eight-naira, forty-six kobo collected in the corresponding period last year.

His words: “For the first half of 2024, that is between January-June, the command generated a total of One trillion, twenty-three billion, six hundred and sixty-three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, two hundred- and fifty five-naira, sixty-three kobo.

“This shows an increase of 143 per cent above the figures of Four hundred and twenty-one billion, three hundred and eighty-two million, one hundred and sixty-six thousand, three hundred- and seventy-eight-naira, forty-six kobo collected in the corresponding period in 2023.

The command, Olomu noted, collected the huge amount of money “despite a sharp reduction in the volume of trade, it is necessary to note that extra measures have been put in place to prevent losses of government revenue.

Upon taking over as Area Controller of Apapa, Olomu said, “I set up a revenue recovery committee comprising of seasoned and dedicated officers with a mandate to carry out more detailed look into areas of leakages, especially in bonded terminals under Apapa Command.”

Speaking on the anti smuggling efforts of the command, the Area Controller pointed out that “within the six months, the command made seizure of eleven containers comprising of prohibited items such as expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, footwears, used clothing, armored cables, frozen poultry products etc., with a Duty Paid Value of Four hundred and twenty-four million, one hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five naira (N424,105,975.00) as against 42 seizures with a DPV of NI.4 billion made in the corresponding period in 2023.

Just last week, the Customs chief said, “we uncovered a large quantity of expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals in 3x40ft container numbers TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, MRSU 5550243, and another 3x40ft container nos. MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559 and MEDU 9752980 loaded with seven thousand five hundred and eighty (7,580) cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption, which is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET).

The importations of these prohibited items, he said, “violate section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

Source: The Nation