Customs Places Officers on Red Alert over Illegal Import as Election Approaches

ABIOLA Seun

With the general elections few weeks away, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has fortified its checks on importation of dangerous imports, particularly arms and ammunitions that may be routed through the nation’s ports.

The Service has also warned officers to maintain 100 percent examination on most containers, saying this was the only way to check cases of illegal arms imports.

At a meeting with unit heads and other officers, the Customs Area Controller, Mr Musa Abdulahi, told officers to maintain zero tolerance to improper examination of containers at the ports, adding this will save the Command any ugly incidence of dangerous goods being imported into the country.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Tin Can Island Port Customs Command, Uche Ejesieme, the Controller told officers that this was even more so since experience has shown that the information given by importers as contained in their documents is usually a contradiction of what is discovered in their containers during physical examination by officers.

Abdullahi said the officers will be doing the Command and indeed the nation a lot of good by ensuring that containers are examined thoroughly to ensure concealment of dangerous goods.

He was said to have reminded officers during the meeting that the excuse of no scanners can no longer be taken, warning that those who are found guilty of any infraction will be punished.