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“I want to appeal to our compliant traders to always make sincere declarations, avoid smuggling and take advantage of the various products put in place by the CGC like Time Release Study (TRS), Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme and Advance Ruling (AR) to help facilitate trade”
The Port Terminal Multiservices Limited(PTML), Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has disclosed how it collected a total of N239,233,530,265.48 as revenue for the Federal Government between the months of January to September 2024.This was disclosed during the third quarter press briefing by the Controller of the command, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan.Also, CSC Muhammad Yakubu, Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO), PTML Command, Lagos in a statement made available to Daily Independent, further disclosed that the total collection from January to September 2024 was N53,448,500,240 higher than the N185,785,030,025.47 collected from January to September 2023, showing a 29 percent increase.
On anti-smuggling, Comptroller Daniyan said the command made seizures worth a total Duty Paid Value of N28,478,034.76.
He said the command made the following seizures including arms and ammunition comprising of two pistols, 260 ammunition, empty shells and cartridges of different types thereby preventing dangerous importation from entering the country.
The seizures made include 1x40ft container No: ACLU9664782 found to contain 2,598 pieces of used motor tyres, 6 pieces of used fridges; 8 pieces of used rug carpets, 2 pieces of used mattresses; 2 bags containing used clothes, shoes and bags with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N8,009,436.00.
Other seizures extracted from the container include foreign parboiled rice and vegetable oil discovered and extracted from 1x40ft container No:ACLU9810594.
They are 56 bags of premium parboiled rice of 45.4kg each, 18 bags of rice land parboiled rice of 22.68kg each, 15 bags of premium parboiled rice of 11.34kg each, 20 bags of premium parboiled rice of 4.5kg each and 18 kegs of soybean vegetable oil of 15.87kg each. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is N6,512,400.00.
It was further disclosed that some other seizures were made from vehicles purchased online.
They are 12 rounds of 9mm Luger FC Blank ammunition and one 9mm Luger live ammunitions.
They were extracted from one used Mazda CX5 with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N37,405.80.
Others are 10 rounds of NIM FC 30-30 blank ammunitions, 2 rounds of 7.62mm x 39 AK hollow ammunition; 3 rounds of WCC NIM Luger 9mm live ammunition and 4 rounds of C hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma with a DPV of N63, 698. 96.
Fifty rounds of 76mm live cartridges and 109 empty shells of 76mm, 70mm, and other calibres extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6,987, 576.00.
Fifty one rounds of 12GA Winchester live cartridges extracted from one used Lexus RX350 car with DPV of N1,290,464
One made in China SIGSAUER 1911 pistol with serial No: U03130962526, extracted from one used Toyota Sienna with DPV of N241,354.
One Glock 22 Austria pistol with serial No: KNTO03 and 13 rounds of 9mm hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma ACOMA with DPV of N 5, 310,396.00.
Five rounds of 12GA live cartridges extracted from one used Toyota Tundra with DPV of N25, 304.
Total DPV for the seized items amounted to N28, 478,034.76.
The Customs boss explained that the showcasing of these live rounds of ammunition was to inform all users of PTML about the readiness of our officers to seize without compromise any items that is in contravention of the extant regulation due to command’s zero tolerance for such.
The 1 x 40ft container No. ACLU9664782 that contained items under seizure one of the above lists was handed over to the Nigeria Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) as directed by the Comptroller General of Customs.
Engr. Vonkur David Nankpark, NESREA’s Head of Lagos Ports Operations received the seized items on behalf of the agency’s Director General.
On the arms and ammunation, the Controller said they are under critical investigation before the normal handing over to the appropriate authority.
He said that 3 suspect were detained in the respect of these seizures and have been granted administrative bail.
On trade facilitation, the Controller said, “Within the period under review, our trade facilitation and ease of doing business strategies have been sustained with our record breaking two hours clearance time for compliant RoRo cargoes.
“An efficient and accessible dispute resolution committee has been strengthened and working harmoniously to regularly brief the Customs Area Controller with a view to quickly resolving all trade disputes. This committee contributed immensely to the success recorded during the period of nine months.
“I want to appeal to our compliant traders to always make sincere declarations, avoid smuggling and take advantage of the various products put in place by the CGC like Time Release Study (TRS), Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme and Advance Ruling (AR) to help facilitate trade.
“Since my assumption of office, I have prioritised the command’s relationship with all our stakeholders by strengthening the existing cordial relationships sustained over the years. This is applicable to both government and private sector stakeholders. This is in line with concept of constant stakeholder engagement for maximum cooperation engendering peace, harmony and trade facilitation.
“My interactions with importers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and terminal operators have contributed greatly to the harmonious operation you see in the command and we shall continually build on this to promote the overall objectives of the federal government.
“The constant engagement with our host PTML and Grimaldi management on the need to diversify their operations has resulted in their expansion to the Far East by opening their office in shanghai -china. Currently. goods -mainly RoRo vehicles are being shipped from china to Nigeria , this will subsequently result in increase revenue collection for NCS as time goes by.
” Our capacity to handle more RoRo cargoes is supported by the command’s track record of efficiency which has been severally demonstrated through timely clearance of automobiles and other cargoes” the CAC said
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) said that with the adoption of various risk management techniques, “we are alert to our responsibility to detect and make seizures or arrests when necessary, as part of our anti-smuggling operations with zero tolerance for noncompliance. As a command, we are security conscious, while also, promoting our national economic interest.
Also, the CAC disclosed that some arms and ammunition were intercepted from vehicles purchased online. They include 12 rounds of 9mmLugger FC Blank ammunition and one 9mm Luger live ammunition extracted from one used MAZDA CX5 with DPV of N37,405.80; 10 rounds of NIM FC 30-30 blank ammunition, 2 rounds of 7.62 mmx39AK hollow ammunition, 3 rounds of WCC nim LUGER 9MM live ammunition, and 4 rounds of C hollow ammunition extracted from one used Toyota Tacoma with DPV of 63,698.96.
The arms and ammunition according to Comptroller Daniyan are awaiting for the instructions from the CGC to be handed over to the relevant Agency (DSS).
While handing over some of the seized items to the appropriate Agency, Controller Daniyan said that on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, he was handing over the container containing 2586 used motor tyres, 12 pieces of used washing machines, 6 pieces of used fridges, 8 pieces of used motor radiator to operatives of NESREA.
Receiving the items, Engr Vonkur David Nankpark, Head of Ports Operations, NESREA said that on behalf of the Director –General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Innocent Bariate Banikor, who for official reasons was unavoidably absent, “this is a clear indication that Nigeria Customs Service is in good partnership with NESREA.
“I assure you that NEAREA as a stakeholder and member of the toxic watch dump committee. You have given this container to us and the content of the container, which are banned to Customs, I assure you that Nigeria is not a dumping ground and not where these things should be used. We have plants now in Nigeria that we use to handle these processes, we handle these and get LPFO oil from them, especially tyres, but they are not meant to be used. Sincerely, we are very grateful, and we assure you that to NEASRA, these things will be handled in a proper manner and in environmentally sound way, because we have accredited e-waste materials already for refrigerators and electronic wastes in them, and we assure you that they will be properly handled and we will be accountable for it.”
Fielding questions from journalists, Engr Vonkur said that for the tyres, they are near-end-of life, there will be problem of accident because you don’t know their manufacturing dates.
