Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area command, Comptroller Yusuf Ibrahim flanked on the left by the Director of the Department of State Security DSS for Apapa Port, Nasir Adimbo and on his right by Assistant Commander General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Sam Gadzama during a joint media briefing in Lagos, Thursday.

Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has generated a whopping N870.4billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, which has accordingly been remitted into the country’s federation and non-federation accounts respectively. This represents a revenue growth rate of 68per cent when compared to the N518.4billion collected in the comparative period of 2020.

The command has also hinted that the scanning of cargo may resume before the end of February, barring any unforeseen circumstances as the procedures for the installation of the scanners, which were acquired earlier in the year are more than 70per cent completed.

Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Yusuf Ibrahim, who spoke in Lagos, Thursday during a joint media briefing with the Director of the Department of State Security DSS for Apapa Port, Nasir Adimbo, Port Manager, Lagos Ports Complex, Mrs. Olufunke Fumilayo and Assistant Commander General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Sam Gadzama, said the command was working in synergy with sister agencies at the ports.

According to him, the command achieved this impressive revenue performance despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted the trade supply chain across the globe, the perennial gridlock in Apapa, which negatively affected movement of cargo as well as the port-rail track linkage works, which disrupted port operations. He attributed this performance to the diligence and resilience of the officers and men of the command as well as the active support of the Customs management team led by Col. Hameed Ali rtd.

The command had also in the review period vigorously pursued its anti-smuggling campaign in line with the country’s existing laws and with the support and cooperation of sister security agencies, especially the DSS and the NDLEA, which led to a total of 103 outstanding seizures of arms and ammunition, illicit drugs and other contraband items with a duty paid value of N31.2billion.

For instance, the command seized 46.6kg of cocaine concealed in two vessels MV Karteria and MV Chayanee Naree laden with raw sugar. It also intercepted containers foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste, used clothes, unregistered pharmaceutical products such as captagon pills, tramadol, codeine syrup, all of which had already been condemned by the courts while suspects are still being interrogated and investigated.

” For the avoidance of doubts, I wish to repeat here that no matter whose ox is gored, the command is not going to tolerate any form of illicit behaviour in the trade supply chain. We are not only going to expose those recalcitrant traders (importers and their cronies), we will also ensure that they are brought to book with maximum penalties under the laws of the land”, the CAC warned.

On export, the command also sustained its trade facilitation strategies, which boosted the export of non-oil goods comprising steel bars, agricultural and mineral products, among several others with an increase of 110per cent in tonnage compared to the figures recorded in the preceding 2020.

Details of statistics from the export desk of the command show that a total of 5.4million metric tonnes of non-oil goods with a Free On Board value of $641million (about N245billion) were exported through the command in the review period as against the 1.3milion metric tonnes with an FOB value of $340million in the previous year.

It was gathered that this feat in terms of export drive was enhanced by Federal Government’s policy and export incentive schemes occasioned by the service’s facilitation and automation of the NXP and CCI.

“It is instructive to note that these unprecedented achievements were made possible because of the doggedness of our officers and men and the tireless commitment to their duty. Nonetheless, we have diligently strengthened our risk assessment capacity through forensic system audit and dispute resolution procedures in accordance with the World Customs Organisation WCO standards.

“Trade disputes were amicably resolved in an atmosphere that promoted compliance with visible results in higher revenue indicating lesser cost of doing business and seizures.

“The command has also achieved a robust industrial harmony with all government agencies in Apapa Port, especially our host, the NPA, Standard Organisation of Nigeria SON, the Port Police, NDLEA and the DSS as well as shipping lines and terminal operators, whose tremendous contributions have been a great success in the outgone year”, the CAC also said.

While commenting on the proposed deployment at the port to enhance easy and timely examination of cargo, the Comptroller assured that 70per cent of the procedures towards their deployment have been achieved, as efforts were being made to train officers, especially those that would man the new systems, especially image analysts as well as synchronising the operations.