Customs Laments Lack of Space for Seized Cargoes

By ZION Olalekan |

The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria customs service (NCS) has lamented lack of space at its warehouse, saying that office accommodation, conference units designed for official use has now become where seized items are stored.

Customs Area Controller of the command, Compt. Binga Boyiliya while addressing journalists lamented that States whose Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps were allocated some relief items have failed to come forward and evacuate the items after several months.

Binga said the command made a tremendous seizures of contraband goods and hard drugs worth N197M, as he mapped out new operational strategies to curb smuggling on the waterways.

While going round the warehouses containing the seized items, Compt Binga lamented on lack of storage as the warehouse are now filled up with seized goods

According to the command boss, the seized items which include vegetable oil, bags of shoes, used tyres, bales of clothes, bags of parboiled rice among others at the warehouse have been abandoned for close to three years.

He said the command is willing to make more seizures this year but that it lacks storage provision.

He thereby appealed to states which the items are allocated to IDPs from HQ to come and evacuate them as this will help create more space in the government warehouse for more seizures

Speaking on other challenges faced by the command, compt. Binga said the dearth of operational equipments such as vessels and vehicles had impacted negatively on the efficiency of Anti-smuggling activities in the command

According to the command boss, the command have been able to repair three boats not minding the cost implication just to make sure that the problem of smuggling on the creeks are taken care of.

The Compt. revealed that the command nabbed 806 loaves of cannabis with duty paid value (DPV) of N 21,157,500 in August, 2018.

He however promised to improve on its present achievement especially as the officers and men of the service are being motivated through promotion, welfare packages, supply of vehicles and tyres to the command.