Customs FOU ‘A’ Intercepts Bullet-Proof Jackets, Jack Knives, Others; Arrests Driver at Checkpoint

…makes seizure worth N462m in one month, hands over 7,728 kg of cannabis to NDLEA

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit zone ‘A’, has intercepted 15 bulletproof jackets, 15 pieces of jack knives and 20 pieces of pistol pouches inside a Toyota Sienna Bus in Ogun State at Ijebu-Ode checkpoint.

According to the Acting Comptroller in charge of the unit, DC Hussein Ejibunu, the vehicle driver was arrested with the seized controlled wares.

He noted that importing all forms of bulle-tproof materials required an end-user certificate.

“It is pertinent to know that the importation of all forms of bulle-tproof materials such as vests, ballistic materials and vehicles, as well as parts and accessories for all military armaments and hardware such as guns, arms and ammunition of all kinds; lethal and non-lethal, require an end-user certificate”, he said.

“An end-user certificate is applied to and issued by the office of the national security adviser, which loses its validity after one year from the issuance date. Hence, anyone importing a controlled item must do so within the validity period of the end-user certificate”, he emphasized.

At its monthly briefing at the unit’s headquarters, DC Ejibunu revealed that seizures recorded within July reflected officers’ commitment to duty and ‘no compromise’ posture in discharging their statutory responsibilities.

50 seizures, he said, were made within the period under review for non-compliance with the extant Customs laws.

“Notable among them were 5,642 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to 9 trailer loads), Eighteen thousand nine hundred twenty-five litres (757 X 25 litres jerry cans of premium motor spirit), Twenty pieces of pistol pouches, Fifteen pieces of bulletproof jackets, Fifteen pieces of jack knives.

“Others are Forty-nine cartons of children school shoes, 181(87 kg) parcels of Indian Hemp, 357 kegs X 5 litres of vegetable oil, 1 unit of Honda Motorcycle and, Two used (Tokunbo) vehicles.

“With a total duty paid value of N462,708,875”, the Ag. Comptroller said.

In the same vein, the sum of N66,493,346.41, he said, was recovered as revenue into the Federation Account by issuing demand notices on Customs duties discovered to be underpaid.

The Ag. Comptroller noted that 13 suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures and are at different stages of investigations and prosecution, while three suspects and cannabis sativa with a net weight of 7,728 kilogrammes were handed over to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Lagos State Command; for further investigation and prosecution.

He appreciated the Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs, for stocking the unit’s logistics for more gainful performance.

“This success story will not be complete without my expression of gratitude to the Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, whose maiden working visit to the Unit was a morale booster. I also use this medium to thank him and members of the management team for stoking our logistics for more gainful performance”, he said.

He warned smugglers to desist from the act as it could destroy the national economy and could adversely affect living standards.