Seme border fully operational, as command dispels rumour of stifling legitimate trade

Seme border command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) has debunked news making the rounds that the land border has not been fully operational despite federal government’s directive in December, 2020 that it should be re-opened for business.

In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC)1, Hussaini Abdullahi, the command stated that its attention had been drawn to reports making the rounds that the Seme-Krake border had not been fully reopened, thereby limiting a seamless inflow and outflow of legitimate goods.

The command described such reports as misleading.

“It is pertinent to state that since the re-opening of some land borders by the Federal Government of Nigeria in December, 2020 with Seme Border Command being among the four borders re-opened, its operations have since been sustained on a full scale.

“Although some initial  hitches were encountered by our Nigerian importers concerning high, charges of fees and levies imposed on the Nigeria bound goods before entry.

“On the other hand, the Command made pragmatic moves towards cementing a  synergy and cooperation with the host community and other security agencies including the Republic of Benin Security agencies operating at the joint border post”

The statement added that the command realised the  sum of four hundred and thirty one million, one hundred and sixty thousand, three hundred naira seventy two kobo (N431,160,300.72) only as duty while four hundred and nine million, eight hundred and fifty seven thousand, five hundred and thirty three naira, fourteen kobo (N409,857,533.14) as Duty Paid Value (DPV) from seizures during the period of January to date.

“In addition, the Command was able to process and exited the following number of trucks within the period of January to date; ETLS one thousand fifty nine (1,059) , EXPORT two thousand four hundred and eighty seven (2487), IMPORT/BAGGAGE one hundred and seventy nine (179) and a total of seven hundred and thirteen (713) declarations were captured and processed.

“The above achievements are indication that the border is not only open, but fully operational since the re-opening of the four (4) land borders by the Federal Government.

“To this end, the Command is calling on the general public to disregard such false  information as it was just an imagination of the perpetrators mischievously aimed at casting doubt in the mind of Nigerians that are engaging with their legitimate businesses at the  border,” the spokesman posited.

The command vowed to continue to actualise sustainable campaign and provision of necessary instruments with a view to facilitating legitimate business in line with extant governmemt fiscal policies.