Customs counts gains of land border closure … says service intercepts seizures worth N11billion in last one year

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has started counting the gains of the land border closure, one year after the exercise commenced.

 

 The service in a press statement  by the Public Relations Officer of the border drill exercise, Joseph Attah,  stated that the Joint Border Drill code named ‘Exercise Swift Response’  which comprised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as well as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security and intelligence agencies has made seizure valued at N11billion since the closure of the land border. 

Attah stated that the seizures included 134,042 bags of parboiled foreign rice, 9,600 bags of NPK fertilizer, 1,791 vehicles, 3,565,461.9 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 5,007 drums filled with PMS including 68,436.3 Jerricans of PMS, 130 engine boats, 847 motorcycles, 17,212.6 Jerricans of vegetable oil, 813 packs of Tramadol and 274 bags of cannabis, while  pegging the estimated monetary value of the seizure to N11,030,062,952.50.

While stating  that the Office of the National Security Advicer (ONSA) which is coordinating the exercise has continued to make large numbers of arrest and seizures, he said  1,243 irregular immigrants and 622 suspected smugglers were arrested within the year under review.  

Attah explained that  the exercise had also made it more difficult for terrorists and other criminals to acquire arms and ammunition, while criminal elements found it challenging to make their way into the country through the land and maritime borders which has contributed to the reduction in cases of transnational organised crimes.  

According to him “One year into the ongoing joint border drill, codenamed ‘Exercise SWIFT RESPONSE ’, appreciable results have been recorded, particularly in the areas of security, economy, agriculture and inter-agency collaboration.

 

” It will be recalled that the exercise, which commenced on 20th August, 2019 involves the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as well as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security and intelligence agencies, under the coordination of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“The present administration, through ONSA took a definitive step to put Nigeria on the path to food sufficiency, stem the flow of illicit arms into the country and improve national security through the exercise.

 

“The joint border security exercise, has no doubt saved the country huge resources and enhanced national security. For instance, the smuggling of drugs and proliferation of small arms and light weapons which are drivers to terrorism and other forms of criminalities in the country have been considerably curtailed.

“The exercise has also made it more difficult for terrorists and other criminals to acquire arms and ammunition, while criminal elements find it challenging to make their way into the country through the land and maritime borders. This has thus contributed to the reduction in cases of transnational organized crimes.

“Exercise SWIFT RESPONSE has also boosted production of agricultural products, especially local rice, tomatoes, maize, poultry e.t.c and this has stimulated the growth of the agricultural sector/economy. 

 

“Today, Nigeria is fast attaining self-sufficiency in rice production, as the border drill has drastically reduced rice smuggling into the country and catalyzed rice production by farmers across the country, while millions of direct and indirect jobs have been created. 

 

“Huge amount in foreign exchange, that previously went into rice importation saved. The rice farmers in the country are now venturing beyond rice cultivation to milling, packaging and marketing.

“Nigeria remains committed to the ongoing diplomatic engagements to finding lasting solutions to the concerns that necessitated the partial border closure. 

“While the priority for now remains to keep our borders safe from any inimical activity that would compromise our national interests and by extension our national security.

 

” We appeal to Nigerians to continue their support for the ongoing efforts towards making the nation better secured and economically viable” he stated.