The Katsina Area Command of the Nigeria customs service has seized smuggled goods with a duty-paid value of 77 million Naira in the months of September and October, 2022.
While parading the items at the customs office in Katsina, the command’s comptroller, Wada Cedi, said the command has also generated revenue worth 197.4 million Naira in the two months.
The seized items include 8 vehicles with a duty-paid value of 59 million Naira and general goods that include 302 bags of 50 kg rice, 361 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 40 cartons of foreign macaroni, and 37 bags if foreign flour.
Others include 10 sacks of second-hand clothing, cylinders of cooking gas, PMS and diesels.
Comptroller Wada Cedi said customs operatives in the state will continue to maintain a no-compromise stance against smuggling which cripples agriculture, local industry, trade and the economy.
He described the recent row between customs officials and some groundnut and beans smugglers in Jibia and Dankama Local Government Areas as needless, and maintained that importers of agricultural goods must also pay duty on such goods.
“Our officials are very professional in carrying out their duty, they only impound goods that are either contraband or were smuggled though illegal points of the border’’.Cedi said.
He disclosed that since the Jibia land border was opened in April this year, the command generated 500 million Naira from custom duties which are being paid into the federal government’s Treasury Single Account, TSA
Isma’il Adamu
