The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, said it generatef N8bn worth of revenue from export cargoes facilitated in the last three months.
The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Timi Bomordi, made the disclosure while addressing journalists at the command in Seme, Lagos.
He said 41,867.88 metric tons involving 1,048 trucks went through the border.
“The Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme paid N42m. The surcharge paid for the period under review was N41m,” he said.
Bomordi also announced that the command has surpassed its N1.966bn revenue target for the year 2023.
“The command continues to sustain the tempo in harnessing all revenue components to achieve desired goals. The target for the command for the year 2023 was N1, 966bn. By the end of October 2023, the command had collected N3.050b. The revenue figure collected exceeded the allotted target by N1, 084bn which represented a 55.1 percent increase.” Bomordi stated.
The Seme Customs boss explained that the successes recorded would be attributed to strategies adopted by the command’s leadership to checkmate revenue loopholes in partnership with stakeholders to ensure compliance.
According to him, “Other contrabands seized within the period under review included, 168 live parrot birds, 3,805 bags of rice equivalent to seven trailer loads, 1,756 Jerrycans of premium motor spirit equivalent to 52, 680 liters which are about two petroleum tankers 1,379 of general merchandise goods, 40 parcels of cannabis sativa, two used vehicles, and three live porcupines among others.” he added.
He said that the seized birds are prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora which Nigeria is a signatory.
Bomordi added that six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.
“The seized Cannabis sativa and suspects will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation. The duty paid value of the seized goods alone was N326bn,” he emphasized.
Bomordi promised to encourage compliant traders.
“Bearing in mind the challenges of the joint border patrol as one that is still adjusting to the reality of the border closure. We have to keep faith within government as talks are ongoing at the highest level to regularize the situation,” he concluded.
