The Oyo/Osun Command of Nigeria Custom Service has said that it generated over N13billion between the months of January and November, 2015. The command also made over N300million in the month of November alone.
Briefing newsmen at the command headquarters in Ibadan, the Custom Area Controller, Abdulsalam Hazzan said the command will continue to build on its achievements both on revenue generation and anti-smuggling combat, adding that it is ready to confront all the challenges that militate against its success.
According to him, despite the awareness and enlightenment campaigns under the platform of Customs Community Consultative Forum (CCCF), some unscrupulous persons have continued to trade in contraband goods.
“The Oyo/Osun Command has continued to reinvigorate and intensify efforts in the command’s anti-smuggling drive, Monday 14th December, 2015 at 1am through intelligence gathering a combined team bombarded a forest along Kishi-Igbeti axis where recalcitrant rice smugglers hid stack of foreign imported rice.
“The bags of rice were brought into the command in five loaded trucks. This seizure will send a serious warning signal that there is no hiding place or going back with duty payment on rice importation from the borders,” he said.
He added; “It is worthy of note to mention that the command generated a total of N144, 285,138.00 from 2156 metric tonnes (43,120) (50kg) bags of rice between October and November, 2015 when the restriction on duty collection from the borders was removed. This is a great achievement under the management of our new Controller General of Customs Col. Hameed Ibrahim (rtd).
“The Oyo/Osun Command between the months of January and November, 2015 generated a total of N13, 201,987,322.77. We officers and men of Oyo/Osun Command are ready to confront all the challenges that militate against our successes and continue to build on the achievements so far made in both revenue generation and anti-smuggling,” he said.
By Pita Ochai