From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded 180 pieces of donkey skin and other contraband items worth ₦323, 065, 567, and also generated about N36. 223 million revenue.
Comptroller of Customs, Kebbi State Area Command, Mr. Iheanacho Ernest Ojike who confirmed the development while addressing newsmen at the Command’s headquarters, Birnin Kebbi, disclosed that five suspects had been arrested in connection with the seized items.
Ojike who listed items the Command intercepted as foreign rice, second-hand clothes, cartons of medicaments,16,300 litres of PMS within the third quarters of the year, said that the seizure was successful as a result of collaboration with sister security agencies.
According to him, “in the area of revenue generation, the Command has been in the frontline, working assiduously to improve the revenue generated yearly by the Command to meet up the set target.
“A lot of challenges have affected the Command’s effort at revenue generation for the Federal Government, especially low volume of imports through our only official border, Kamba. However, the Command was still able to generate the sum ₦36, 223, 554.50K within the period under review.
He disclosed that the Whirlwind team, created by the Comptroller General of Customs, had reduced the level of pms smuggling in the state.
He stated that the seized items by the anti-smuggling patrol team included 367 bales of second-hand clothing, 16,300 liters of PMS, 74 cartons of different medicaments, 8 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50Kg each, 180 pieces of donkey skin bundled in nine sacks, 2 litres of Oxidized Nitric Acid of 35kg each and 1 unit of DAF truck and Toyota Corolla as means of conveyance, among others.
He said the seized donkey skin had been passed on to the Quarantine Service of Nigeria and Medicaments for onwards handover to NAFDAC.