Ag. CGC Pledges to Adopt More Proactive Measures to facilitate Trade

... Meets Polish Investors in Abuja 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, has reiterated his readiness to facilitate trade by collaborating with foreign and domestic traders, and adopting more proactive measures.

The Ag. CGC made this pledge on Tuesday, 26th September 2023, when he received the delegation of ZGM Investment Group of Companies Limited – a coordinating firm of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone and Polish Investors at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja.

According to the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, the Ag. CGC has, on several occasions, reiterated President Bola Tinubu's economic policies, which mandated the Nigeria Customs Service to create an enabling environment for legal businesses to flourish in the country.

"The Service is aware of your investment  and we know you would want your investment to be protected as well as yield some dividends, but what we want is a win- win collaboration for the parties involved. Thus, if we can achieve the objectives of your coming to Nigeria, then I consider this as a good starting," he said. 

He also assured the delegation of Customs' unflinching cooperation in opening doors for any investor that may wish to invest their business in Nigeria, adding that “although I have engaged in a working tour to Zone ‘A’ recently, I want to assure you that my management will study the possibility of organizing a special visit to Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.”

In his remarks, the Coordinator of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Abeh Onas, thanked the Acting Comptroller-General for honoring their request for a courtesy visit to discuss matters related to their FTZ.

Abeh said they were at the Headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service to appreciate the Ag. CGC for his unwavering commitment to improve trade in Nigeria and to further strengthen their lines of communication as well as collaboration between the Service and Ogun Guangdong FTZ.

He explained that “as we both share common interests in facilitating international trade, I believe that reinforcing our existing partnership can yield positive outcomes for both entities and contribute to the economic growth of the country.”

Customs FOU 'A' Arrests Widelife Smuggling Kingpin

ZAINAB JUNAID  

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) has arrested Mr Felix Maiva, a wanted wildlife smuggling kingpin who has been on the run since 2021. 

Mr Maiva's arrest is a fallout of intense investigation and surveillance that followed the discovery of a 1 X 20 feet container found to contain 4,752kg of elephant ivory, 5,239kg of pangolin scales, 5kg of rhinoceros horns, and some lion skeletons. 

In a statement made available to Journslists and signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Theophilus Duniya, the illegal wildlife products were bound to be exported to Haiphong, Vietnam, in January 2021 through Apapa Sea Port, Lagos-Nigeria.

According to the statement, "the suspect is a shipping agent for the BERETE organized crime group that has earlier been declared wanted by the Nigeria Customs Service for their involvement in a smuggling crime in January 2021 and other organized wildlife trafficking offences.

"It is worthy of note that the earlier wildlife seizure made by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service in Apapa led to the conviction of a clearing agent, Mr Felix OLAME, in June 2023 by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Speaking on the development, the Ag. Comptroller of the Zone, Hussein K Ejibunu, who commended the officers for their tact, intelligence and consistency in following up on the suspect, reiterated that smuggling suspects, no matter how far they run, would be caught by the long arms of the law. He describes the breakthrough as a morale booster for officers following up on similar cases and suspects.

Maiva’s arrest was as a result of an intelligence-driven operation by Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Wildlife Justice Commission to support the global effort to fight crimes against endangered species.