Federal Operations Unit Zone B, Kaduna under Comptroller Musa Ibrahim Jalo has recorded a total of One Hundred and Seventy Nine (179) seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One Billion, Forty Four Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira, Eighty Kobo (N1,044,772,159.80K) between the period of May through July 2023.
A press statement by the Unit image maker Isah Sulaiman, Superintendent of Customs made it known that Comptroller Musa Ibrahim Jalo disclosed this during a media briefing at the Unit while highlighting the scorecard of the Unit’s activities from May to July 2023.
Items arrested in different locations within the Zone were said to be mainly intelligence driven, plus the due vigilance and diligence of Officers and Men of the Unit. Of particular note is the seizure of illicit substances like Cannabis Sativa jointly arrested with Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) in Kebbi, vehicles, smuggled foreign parboiled rice, Second hand clothing, foreign soaps, vegetable oil and pastas, among others.
The statement reads that Officers and Men who have remained focused are presently also in sync with the current work agenda and orientation of the new administration ably led by the Ag. Comptroller -General of Customs, Bashir Wale Adeniyi
Seized items within the period under review were said to include 21 Units of Used Vehicles, 11 Units of Vehicles (Means of Conveyance), 2234 Bags of Foreign Parboiled Rice (50Kg each), 48 Bags of Foreign Parboiled Rice (25Kg each), 226 Jerrycans of Foreign Refined Vegetable Oil (25litres each), 2780 Cartons of Foreign Spaghetti, Macaroni and Couscous, 278 Bales of Foreign Second Hand Clothing, 15 Sacks of Foreign Second Hand Shoes,140 Cartons of Foreign Tin Tomato Paste, Foreign Pomade , Foreign Milky Creamer, Foreign Green Tea and Foreign MIlk.
Others are 149 Cartons of Foreign Fruit Juice, Foreign Soap, Foreign Matches, 140 Jerrycans of Automotive Gas Oil (25litres each), 1000 Jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (25litres each), Used Tyres, Foreign Eclairs Sweets, Foreign Shisha (Tobacco),Foreign Expired Cigarette, Foreign Vitamin D3 Supplements, Foreign Charcoal Briskets, Foreign LPG Cylinders (100Kg each), Foreign Tiger Nut (100Kg each), Foreign Used Belts and 81 Parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana)
Given the aforementioned seized items which are largely prohibited, the CAC says“l like to use this medium to appeal to the perpetrators to desist and engage in legitimate trade because this Unit has no plans to negotiate our extant laws.
“We will continue to confront all acts of smuggling and to crush every obstacle on the way with all lawful force, therefore l advise Nigerians to take advantage of the renewed hope agenda of the new administration and the commitment of our CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, to raise the scale of trade facilitation through improved compliance and continuous partnership and engagement.
“In line with the standard operating procedure (SOP) guiding the operations of sister agencies, the Unit has handed over seized items outside its primary purview to relevant agencies.
“We have enjoyed their unwavering corporation and support and solicit for more collaboration, including your good selves, our revered gentlemen of the forth estate of the realm, for showcasing our activities even as we look forward for more of your objective reportage.”
It could be recalled that upon his resumption of duty at the FOU Zone B on 27 January 2023, Comptroller Jalo has said that he will work not only to build on the strategies he was inheriting from his predecessor, ACG Albashir Hamisu but to continue to dialogue and where necessary continue to strengthen the pillars of the unit’s operations.
