The Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja Command of Nigeria Customs Service, [NCS] has surpassed its records for the first quarter of 2024 compared to what was collected the previous year; in the first quarter of 2023 where the Command collected Twenty-One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira, Forty-Four Kobo (N21,362,752,676.44K) while in the corresponding period of 2024, the Command recorded Forty-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira (N45,232,483,528) only. This represents an appreciable increase of Twenty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Naira and Fifty-Six Kobo (N23,869,730,851.56K) only indicating 111.7% increase.
The command Customs Area Controller, Muhammed Yusuf, while briefing newsmen on Monday said the Command has recorded an appreciable increase in its anti-smuggling drive which led to the interception of fifty (50) pieces of 9mm live ammunitions which was discovered in a joint examination conducted by the Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The number of first quarter seizures in the command includes One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Four (1,164kg) sea cucumbers, Fifty Eight Kilograms (58kg) of donkey genitals and seventeen packages (17) of Tramadol. The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at Five Billion, seven hundred and ninety four million, ninety nine thousand, three hundred and seventy one naira and one hundred and nineteen kobo only (N5,794,099,371.119k). All the seized items contravened some of the provisions of extant laws as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.
The Area Controller attributed the success to the managerial skill he display by engaging stakeholder in the Command to open-door policy and through these the Command could resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders. While thanking the critical Stakeholders, Sister Agencies and the Media for their collaborative efforts and synergy while carrying out our statutory mandate in the state.
Controller, Muhammed Yusuf, appreciate the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashiru Adewale Adeniyi MFR and his Management team for their continued support as well as Officers and Men of the Command. He urge them to remain focused and steadfast in discharging their assigned responsibilities. His statement read.
