Seme Customs seeks commendation from Cote d’Ivoire over seizures.

The Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said its performance at the regional level to rid cross border crimes is worthy of commendation letter from the govwrnment of Cote d’Ivoire.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Selechang Taupyen said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos. He added that the command rakes in over N1.5 billion as revenue generation into the federal government coffers in the first quarter of 2018.

The statement reads, “If this performance could necessitate a commendation letter from the Cote d’Ivoire government to the Comptroller General of Customs as a way of appreciating the synergy at the regional level to rid of cross-border crimes, it is worthy of note that the Nigeria Customs Service is undergoing a positive metamorphosis that deserves the commendations of its citizenry than mere criticism borne out of selfish reasons from the Nigerian public.

“These exceptional performances within the country are felt in other countries as the command’s collaborative effort within the sub-region wax stronger daily. The synergy has yielded an unprecedented feat in the arrest of many items including over fifty stolen exotic cars at Republic of Cote d’Ivoire under the Interpol collaboration.

He stated that the land border command collected a total of One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Six Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Three Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira, Forty Kobo (₦1,576,153,186.40) in the first three months of 2018 representing 78% of the monthly revenue target allocated to the command by the Customs Management.

He stated furrher that the surveillance of the command over the years had led to the arrest of over thirty two thousand bags (32,000) of smuggled rice with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Five Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (₦530,000,000) which accordibg to him, attests to the command’s uncompromising stand to working in conformity to the current reforms of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd).

Taupyen however added that the command had also made a total of two hundred and seventy (270) seizures with a Duty Paid Value of Two Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Six Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-Seven Naira (₦235,648,447.00) for the same period under review.

“It could be recalled that there was a smugglers’ ‘’wonder car’’ from the headquarters customs crew that was trending in the social media, with concealment of smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value of over Forty Million Naira (N40, 000, 000) emanated from Seme border. It is pertinent to note that this dangerous concealment (amongst others) is routinely intercepted at the Seme axis”, he said.

He continued,” The Customs Area Controller of Seme Command, Compt. Mohammed Aliyu A. seems to be operating in strict adherence to the reform agenda of the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Ibrahim Hammed Ali Rtd.

This is evident as his operational strategies are determinedly within the service mandate with the nation’s security in mind. The command has also succeeded in stemming the impunity and the flagrant abuse of the Federal Government policies by ardent smugglers, who used to operate at the border with dexterity and reckless abandon at the risk of officers lives.

“A well-known traveler through the corridor will bear witness to the fact that smuggling is being confronted head long and there is no room for impunity in illegalities among saboteurs at Seme route now. The total and aggressive compliance level in the enforcement of relevant government policies is a thing of admiration in the command as seizures of different contrabands are reeled in to the warehouse in a perpetual manner.

“The command is always gathering classified intelligence on the berthing of some consignments in the neighboring countries that are prohibited and restricted into Nigeria, and targeting Nigeria as her final destination.

Our strategies to work on such information are only disclosed when the information are effectively treated. The command therefore remains resolute in the enforcement of the Federal government policies across the frontier.”