Customs Area Controller, Seme Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi flanked by officers of the Command while briefing newsmen at the Seme Border, Tuesday.

The Seme command of the Nigeria Customs Service has collected a total revenue of N2.63billion for the Federal Government and its agencies within the first five months of the 2024 fiscal year beginning from January-May, says the Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Timi Bomodi. This represents an increase of 272 per cent when compared with the figures recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.

The Command also within the review period facilitated the export of 143, 468metric tonnes of non-oil export goods with a total Free On Board FOB value of N35.19billion or equivalent to over $38, 461. Similarly, a total of N174,518 was collected under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme NESS, from the non-oil exports while a total of 406 Single Goods Declaration SGDs were utilised during the period under review for exports alone.

Briefing newsmen at the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Comptroller Bomodi further disclosed that the Enforcement Unit of the command further sustained its anti-smuggling momentum in all the nooks and crannies of its area of coverage, which led to a total of 474 seizures with a total duty paid value DPV of N840million.

The seized items include a total of eight tankers of Premium Motor Spirit PMS, also called petrol loaded in 12,448 30- litre Jerry Cans, 10 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice comprising 6,467 bags of 50kg, 15 units of used vehicles and 1, 251parcels of Indian Hemp also called cannabis sativa.

The Comptroller said: “We note that there has been a marked increase in the illegal importation of Cannabis from Ghana and different methods have been used by criminals in their efforts to beat our officers, all of which have been neutralised.”

Also seized within the review period were wild animals comprising 20 live Parrots, two Honey badgers, two Pelican Birds, 404 live tortoises, 3, 023 items of general merchandise, 149 packages of Codeine and 45 pieces of used tyres.

It was further gathered that the command arrested a total of 18 suspects in connection with the seizures, one of which was the arrested of a notorious smuggler, whose reign of terror in the area has come to an end and will be made to face the full wrath of the law.

Available statistics show that 11 out of the 18 suspects have been granted administrative bails, while three were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA for further agency action, even as one suspect was handed over to the Nigeria Police, while four remaining suspects are still in the custody of the command.

Comptroller Bomodi, who thanked the Comptroller General of the service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR for his purposeful leadership, which has also provided the morale booster said: “We at the Seme-Krake Joint Border profoundly appreciate the CGC for providing us with the tools to work and the necessary incentives, which is responsible for the giant strides we are recording. We further assure him that we will not rest on our oars.

“We would also like to appreciate the profound cooperation of other government agencies in ensuring the peace, safety and security of our borders. Special mention will be made of the effort of officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Air Force and Navy, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us in this battle. Their unwavering support is crucial and we applaud their patriotic effort.”

The Seme-Customs boss, who doubles as Chairman of the Seme-Krake Joint Border Patrol, made up of all the security agencies at the border, decried the molestation of females on that trade corridor.

He said: “The Command has also set-up a complaint desk to address issues concerning the molestation of females on this corridor. We strongly frown at any act endangering the health and well-being of the vulnerable population of border stakeholders, who go about their normal and legitimate businesses daily. Stringent action shall be taken against any officer of the any agency found guilty of molestation of any females on this corridor.