By Sylvanus OBASI, Imo
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone “C” has said that it seized contra-bands worth N7,577,259,390.00 between January 25th, 2023 and April 19th, 2024.
Outgoing Comptroller Kayode Kolade disclosed this in a farewell message while handing over to his successor and new Comptroller of the Unit, Mr Michael Ugbagu.
Kayode thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs; Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his entire management team, for the trust and confidence bestowed on him to serve as Comptroller FOUC and for replacing with Ugbagu, “a thorough enforcement guru.
“I am grateful to the Comptroller-General of Customs; Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his entire management team, for the trust and confidence bestowed on me from January 25th 2023 to April 19th 2024 as I handover the affairs of this unit to another amiable Comptroller Michael Ugbagu, who is also a thorough enforcement guru”.
He thanked officers of the unit for their unparalleled support, commitment, dedication, handwork and prayers, adding that their support was the reason for his successes.
“With all your support and cooperation, the Unit within my tenure was able to make substantial and spectacular seizures ; totaling 198 seizures with a duty paid value of Seven Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-seven Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety Naira only (N7,577,259,390.00) derived from five sacks of Pangolin scales weighing 413.1kg worth N523,356,390; 1,813 bags of 50KG each of foreign parboiled rice worth N105, 105,000.00;
815 SACKS of Cannabis Sativa weighing 17,950KG and 2,935 PARCELS (1KG EACH) weighing 2,935kg (TOTALING 20,885KG) worth N1,670,800,000.00.
Other seizures and their breakdown are as shown :
1.DSP/CMC COUGH SYRUP WITH CODEINE
31 CTNS CONTAINING 3,600 BOTTLES worth N21,600,000.00
2. .VEHICLES: 52 UNITS INCLUDING 3 ARMORED VEHICLES worth N4,275,000,000.00
3. EXPLOSIVE DEVICES: 9 SACKS 50KG OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS/SUPER POWER90 SUBSTANCE/CABLES worth N12,990,000.00 +SECURITY IMPLICATION
4. .USED CLOTHINGS/SHOES: 1,807 JUMBO BALES and 48 SACKS OF USED SHOES worth N451,750,000.00 and N4,800,000.00 respectively.
5. UNREGISTERED/EXPIRED MEDICAMENT: 955 CARTONS of EXPIRED/VARIOUS BRAND INCLUDING TRAMADOL worth N238,750,000.00
6. USED PNEUMATIC TYRES: 6,457 PIECES worth N96,855,000.00
7. FOREIGN spaghetti: 364 CTNS worth N7,280,000.00
8. FOREIGN TOMATOES PASTE: 4,693 CARTONS worth N234,650,000.00
9. VEGETABLE OIL: 80 JERRYCANS OF 25KG worth 600,000.00
10. FOREIGN SOAP: 1,329 CARTONS OF EVA SOAP worth 33,255,000
11. PETROLEUM PRODUCT: 32 JERRYCANS OF 25 LITRES EACH OF PMS worth N468,000,00
He added that although FOUC is not a revenue-generating unit, under his watch and based on interventions to checkmate the activities of fraudulent agents at the seaports, lots of lost revenues were recovered to the tune of One Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fourteen Naira only (NN155,819,714.00.) within his 15 months in office.
Comptroller Kayode also reconstructed and equipped a clinic at the Unit’s office, in Owerri, where officers and Men, as well members of the host community enjoy free health care services administered by the unit’s qualified medical personnel.
In addition, to ensure a healthy work-life balance, he carved out a very spacious office for sports activities with fully installed gym equipment where officers and men can exercise.
He called on everyone to please extend same support and cooperation to his successor, Comptroller Micheal Ugbagu as he pilots the affairs of the unit and wished him well.
“ I wish you well my brother. You will succeed and your legacies will be felt as well “, he said.
In his response, Comptroller Michael Ugbagu thanked the CGC and his entire management team for bestowing him with the mandate to oversee the affairs of FOUC.
He thanked Comptroller Kolade for his “highly commendable “ achievements while he held sway and pledged continued compliance with established guidelines.
“ We will ensure compliance with the current import and export guidelines using intelligence and technology to drive our operations.
“ There will be a watertight security against smuggling activities across the zone. Smugglers will be discouraged, frustrated and made uncomfortable, thereby making smuggling, duty evasion and warehousing of smuggled goods unattractive within the zone “, he said.
He called for support and cooperation from the media and the general public to enable him carry out his new assignment.
