FHC Convicts 16 offenders for contravening Customs law in 2023- Ejibunu

 …says 136 persons were arrested in South West Zone, made 1,119 seizures worth N10.39Bn in 2023

ZAINAB JUNAID

Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, has revealed that sixteen (16) people were convicted through Federal High Courts in 2023 for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs Officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export.

He made the disclosure at a press briefing held on Wednesday January 10, 2024, to reveal the scorecards made by FOU in 2023.

Comptroller Ejibunu said a total number of 136 persons were arrested at various points within the Zone's area of responsibility. 

The culprits were suspected to be smugglers, and after due diligence of uncompromising of profiling and investigation, they were charged to court and are at different stages of prosecution.

According to him, "16 people were convicted through the Federal High Courts for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export.

"Some other smuggling related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently. This year 2024, we shall continue, through our legal seat, to follow all pending court cases to logical conclusions."

On seizures made, Comptroller Ejibunu said, "Last year we made 1,119 seizures worth a total duty paid value of N10,395,123,943; comprising of rice, vehicles, marijuana, tramadol, used tyres, poultry products, footwears, petroleum products etc. The most prominent of the seizures is foreign parboiled rice which amounted to 139 trailer loads (83,170 bags of 50kg).

He went further disclosing other seizures made in the period under review to include- 13,706 kegs by 25 litres of PM; 8,372 Kg of Indian Hemps; 2,942 pieces of tyres;2,153 bales of used clothes; 3,095 cartons of frozen poultry; 320 cartons illicit drugs; 15 pieces of bullet proof jackets, 15 pieces of jack knives, and 68 pieces of military camouflage; 450 drums X 106 kg of carbide; 1 X 40 ft and 2 X 20 ft containers found to contain charcoal; 132 units of foreign used vehicles; among others.

He stressed that the report of seizures and arrests made attests to the relentless and uncompromising enforcement deployed by operatives of the Unit in the fight against smuggling in 2023.

According to him, “It is indeed a fallout of the positive energy and selflessness we displayed in the course of our work.

Although, as a unit charged with anti-smuggling function in the South West Zone, overseeing an area with international borders, busiest airport in Nigeria, and the two largest sea ports in the country, FOU Zone A area of responsibility is indeed wide. However, with the morale and logistics support from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, we were able to prosecute the fight against smuggling diligently by making seizures, effecting arrests and collecting revenue for government in the course of discharging our functions,” he noted.

On the revenue generated Comptroller Ejibunu said the unit was able to recover a total of N851,719,905.01 as revenue through meticulous document checking.

“We were able to identify shortfalls in duty payments from which demand notices were issued and accurate revenue were recovered. These are revenues that would have been lost by the federal government to the pockets of some uncompliant business men.

“I want to reiterate that our battle to prevent smuggling will be intensified this year as we shall not relent in making seizures, arrests and prosecution of criminals who contravene the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. If they don't desist from their criminal ways, this year will be tougher for them because they will lose their investments and freedom when arrested.

“Let me put on record that we shall lawfully arrest and prosecute any individual involved in the attack of our officers who are discharging their legitimate responsibilities. No attacker of our personnel will be spared from facing the full wrath of the law,” he warned violators.