Date: 2021-06-03

...Attributes it to collaboration with traditional, religious leaders

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Wednesday said smuggling of prohibited goods into the country along Kwara, Benue, Kogi and Niger states axis haves reduced by 15 percent.

The service attributed this to constant sensitization as well as collaboration with traditional and religious leaders in border towns of the states.

Coordinator, Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT), Sector 3 Comptroller Olugboyega Peters told reporters in Ilorin, Kwara state capital that "I have said it that this sector will make Kwara, Niger, Benue and Kogi states very uncomfortable for smugglers. That is what you have seen today.

"I am not saying that there is no smuggling, but the rate has gone down as far as 15 percent, compared to what we used to have. It has drastically reduced. Not only that, the sensitization from our end and the collaboration with the Baales, Kabiyesis and religious leaders along border axis is responsible for the reduction in smuggling in these states that Sector 3 is covering."

The customs chief said that "it is also important to note that the successes recorded in our operations in this sector, could be attributed to the good motivation from the Nigeria Customs Service management, office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other sister agencies which has boosted the morale of officers and had kept them in high spirit at all times."

Continuing, Mr. Peters said that "the sector has made appreciable progress in its anti-smuggling activities by recording a total number of 35 seizures of various prohibited items within the period under review with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N 28.2 million."

The items impounded according to him include 637 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice, 795 kegs of 25 liters of the premium motor spirit of 25 liters each, 15 units of Nigerian used vehicles (means of conveyance), 14 Cartons of condensed milk, four cartons of batteries, 14 tin tomato paste and three bags of sugar.