Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Strike Force has seized 15, 295 bags of rice at Ijebu-Ode.
The National Coordinator of the strike force, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Kirawa, said that his team had been able to seize 15, 295 bags of 50kg each parboiled rice.
“The strike force team in Zone A has within a period of two months stunning August 18th till date, had been able to seize 15, 295 bags of 50kg each parboiled rice. This is equivalent to 25 trailers with a duty paid value of 21 million naira within this period we’ve been able to achieve this because of the motivation, extra one for that matter that has been given to us by the management of the service”.
He however promised that the Strike Force Team will make all routes in the South -West hot and un-accessible to smugglers. “The strike force team has done alot of things to ensure that smuggling of rice is reduced to the barest minimum. This has been able to achieve because officers are well motivated the service has given us all that is needed for us to go after these smugglers and such they have no hiding place”
In Kirawa’s words “smuggling is evil, if you call an average person and ask him/her to list different types of crime that is being committed he would mention armed robbery, drugs abuse, rape and other criminal activities but hardly will the person mention smuggling as part of crime, whereas smuggling is the mother of all crimes. This is because it’s through smuggling that illegal arms get into the country, it’s through smuggling that bad substance and illicit drugs get into the country, it’s through smuggling that adulterated food and other things come into the country, it’s through smuggling that poisonous items get into the country”.
“We know the smugglers are desperate and smart but we are many steps ahead of them, the interception we made was based on intelligence because we can all see how desperate they are to smuggle these contraband into the country.”But, he said Customs are always ahead of them hence the seizure.
“The seizure is attributed to the intelligence provided by the Customs Intelligence Unit and my team and we have vowed to make the southwest zone a no go area for smugglers and make sure they count their loses no matter their antics,” he said. Kirawa also expressed gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) for his supports”.
“Smuggling as an age long trade, as an evil thing that do no one any good. NCS job is to ensure that smuggling is reduced to the barest minimum. These would be able to achieve through public sensitization as done by our public relations units. There is also customs communities’ relation to ensure that we get through the grassroots and telling them about the evils and ills of smuggling. I would want to use this opportunity to still tell the members of the public that they should not shelter smugglers. Smugglers are our enemies because they are doing things that are detrimental to the economy which will affect all of us” he said.